by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
editor@charactermedia.com
A documentary about the lifelong love of an elderly couple topped South Korea’s box office on Friday, knocking down epic blockbusters Exodus: Gods and Kings and Interstellar to second and third place, respectively.
Directed by Jin Mo-young, My Love, Don’t Cross that River follows a couple, known as the “100-year-old lovebirds,” living in a sleepy mountain village in the Gangwon province. Similar to characters in a fairy tale, the elderly couple loves each other dearly, wears traditional Korean clothes every day and falls asleep while holding hands. For 15 months, the camera documents the peaceful life of the 98-year-old husband and 89-year-old wife until the husband passes away.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the documentary has sold more than 420,000 tickets in 465 theaters across South Korea as of Thursday. It also became the first indie film to draw 100,000 viewers during its first week run and went on to exceed the 300,000 mark on its 13th day of opening.
My Love, Don’t Cross the River originated as part of KBS’s television documentary program in 2011 and was later expanded into a feature, which premiered at the the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.
Despite having a meager production budget of 120 million won (USD $108,600), the film has already collected 488 million won in ticket sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. Industry officials now expect the tear-jerker to surpass Old Partner, a 2009 documentary about an old farmer and his 40-year-old ox, which set the box office record for Korean indie films.
You can watch the My Love, Don’t Cross That River trailer with English subtitles below:
Photo courtesy of the KOFIC
