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Documentary ㅣ Work In Progress

Mother's Accounting Book

SUNG Seungtaek
Korea 80min 4K Color/B&W Documentary
Production StatusProduction
Goal of ParticipationFundraising, Distributor Meeting, World Sales
Production budget250,000,000 KRW
Budget Required128,000,000 KRW
Secured budget
  • Korea Film Council : 50,000,000 KRW
  • Jeonju Film Commission : 10,000,000 KRW
  • C-corporation[Self-funding] : 50,000,000 KRW
  • Korea Creative Content Agency(KOCCA) : 10,000,000 KRW
  • DMZ Docs Industry[Rough Cut Pitch Grant] : 2,000,000 KRW
LOGLINE

The mother's household account book is found, who is suffering from early Alzheimer's disease. Between 48 years of records and fading memories, I attempt to put pieces together on the reason she kept the book and her life as a woman.

SYNOPSIS

This film is composed of records from the household account book, interviews with my mother, daily life, memory recollections, and other archive footage. The records in the book correspond to modern Korean history which underwent rapid changes. In 2017, the book, records of survival, stopped. Do I know everything about my mother's life as a girl turned grandmother during a turbulent time? Amid the history of military dictatorship and mail-dominated industrialization, would our mothers be satisfied with their lives in the past? There is only a short time for my mother to remember. Through the film, I try to slow down my mother's fading memories. In addition, I want to record my time as a son with her.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

How much did I actually know about my mother? Was she happy as a person as opposed to her happiness as a mother? By discovering the account book that my mother wrote for 48 years, I discovered a mother I did not remember. Although the past is clearly written, my mother's current status seems helpless. We are all destined to face periods of fading memories. This documentary searches for the meaning of 17,520 days of recorded time and happiness in my mother's complicated life. For my mother, who is currently helpless and confused by early Alzheimer's disease, this documentation process will be a journey to find new memories and the meaning of the past.

INTERVIEW
What inspired you to start this project?
After 20 years, I started living with my parents again. While moving, I stumbled upon a household account book my mother had kept for 47 years under a mother-of-pearl chest. As I read through the account book, filled with my mother's notes and diary entries, I realized how little I knew about her. Around the discovery, I also found that my mother was showing early signs of dementia. I felt the urge to learn more about her and to document her journey.

The records in the account book not only contained my mother's emotions but also detailed the daily lives of my siblings, father, and other family members. Moreover, the account book served as a microcosm of our family's financial transactions while also reflecting the economic and social changes in Korean society. Born in 1941, my mother had experienced various events in modern Korean history from the Korean War onwards. Combining my mother's memories and the records from the account book, the film capturing this journey would be compelling, offering insights into both personal and societal narratives.
Is there any emotion you want the audience to feel after watching this film?
We all have mothers. My mother was born in 1941, and her life spanned through the turbulent times of Korean society. I always thought of my mother simply as "mother." However, through this film, I've just embraced the idea of her being a woman for the first time, though it brings some embarrassment.

The account book encapsulates my mother's life from her 30s to her late 70s. It begins with her longing for her father as a daughter and transitions into her role as a mother of four, depicting her evolving and resilient nature and eventually showcasing her role as a grandmother and a mother-in-law. Through the film, I've asked many questions about my mother and received many answers. I've learned about her childhood dreams, happiest moments, and more. The movie follows the journey of my mother's life. I believe that audiences can find meaning in the finite human life by following my mother's journey through the account book.
DIRECTOR
SUNG Seungtaek
Born in Seoul, South Korea in 1972. He directed Neighborhood (2016) which won the BIFF Mecenat Award at Busan International Film Festival, and Trip of Blues (2018). He majored in film at the Korea National University of Arts. He got involved in more than 20 productions of commercial films as a cinematographer.
Neighborhood (2016), Trip of Blues (2018)
PRODUCER
SONG Hyunyoung
Born in Busan, South Korea in 1973. The first film he worked with was Failan (2001). He majored in producing at the Graduate school of Cinematic Content, Dankook University. He is currently working as a producer.
10 minutes (2014), The first lap (2017), Winter's Night (2020)
CONTACTsongking21@naver.com
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