Sung-hee, working as an assistant to disabled persons, visits the newly assigned house of Hyeon-mok. Hyeon-mok’s mother, whom Sung-hee is to take care of, is a severely disabled person, lying in bed 24 hours, unconscious. Sung-hee anticipates an easy day at work.

The complex nature of the relationship between the ‘user’ and the ‘assistant’, makes it tricky to define ‘personal assistance service for disabled persons’ as a clear-cut ‘welfare service.’ The user may desire creating an emotional bond with the assistant, while the assistant is likely to wish to keep the relationship formal so as to limit it as being part of a paying job. The difference in their stances poses a difficult, realistic question. Following on the steps of the once irresponsible protagonist, in the midst of this subtle dilemma, might trigger us to look back on our own lives.

2019 제24회 부산국제영화제 오늘의 배우상(문혜인)