Director Ha Myeong-mi’s “Halllan” has locked a Nov. 26 release and unveiled its first teaser trailer.
Set on Jeju Island in 1948, the film traces a mother and daughter’s fight to survive as they cross mountain and sea to stay alive.
The Oct. 20 teaser opens with Ah-jin (Kim Hyang-gi) fleeing up Mount Halla to evade government forces, while her daughter Haesaeng (Kim Min-chae) follows close behind―until the two are torn apart. Scenes of troops storming homes, proclamations plastered on walls, and civilians massacred sketch a harrowing portrait of the era, dialing up curiosity about what “Halllan” has in store.
When Ah-jin learns their village has been burned to the ground, she risks everything to descend the mountain and rescue her child―teasing Kim’s turn as a steely, fiercely devoted mother. The trailer closes with the pair on the run, hinting at a grueling survival odyssey that puts a mother and daughter at the center of 1948 Jeju’s turmoil.
The title “Halllan” refers to an orchid that blooms on Mount Halla in winter. Unbowed by the cold, the flower mirrors the film’s themes of resilience, the sanctity of life, and the will to endure.
Best known for "Innocent Witness" and the "Along with the Gods" franchise―both massive box-office draws―Kim Hyang-gi returns to the big screen as Ah-jin, a Jeju haenyeo (female free diver) who will face any danger for her daughter.
Newcomer Kim Min-chae plays Haesaeng, and with her resemblance to Kim Hyang-gi and finely tuned performance, she’s poised to make a lasting impression.
Writer-director Ha Myeong-mi, whose debut short "Her Hobby" won two awards at the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), pens and helms “Halllan” with a delicate touch, revisiting a chapter of Jeju’s history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The film hits theaters Nov. 26.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)