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AMERICA TOWN

아메리카타운

By Su-Il JEON

MANO ENTERTAINMENT INC. - as PROD

True Story - Post-Production 2017

A brief moment of dictatorship in a military town, the first love of photographer’s boy finally drags him into a harsh world that will determine his fate...

- Year of production
- 2017
- Genres
- True Story, Historical, Drama
- Countries
- KOREA (South)
- Languages
- KOREAN
- Director(s)
- Su-Il JEON
- Producer(s)
- Miseon OH (MANO ENTERTAINMENT INC.)
- Synopsis
- In the mid-1980s, under a dictatorial regime, a 15-year-old, middle-school boy, Sang-kook lives in a small town close to a US military base. His father is a photographer and runs a studio. The father left behind family in North Korea, separated during the Korean War, and he frequently drinks in a local bar to cope with his feelings of longing and loss. Meanwhile, Sang-kook becomes fascinated by the black-and-white films and photographs he develops and prints during his father’s absences.
  
  But, Sang-kook is violently bullied at school by thuggish, older boys; who regularly force him to steal money from his father and hand it over to them.
  
  One day, a waitress at a club for US soldiers, Young-lim (20), comes to the studio to get her photo taken for an ID. Sang-kook falls instantly in love with her while taking her picture, but she regards him only as a child.
  
  Sang-kook unwillingly tells his mom about his father’s affair with a female bar owner. Fearing his father’s wrath, he avoids home and wanders the streets. Late one night, Sang-kook meets Young-lim by chance, in front of the US club. She takes him to her lodgings and they spend the night together.
  
  Back in daily life, Sang-kook can’t stop thinking about Young-lim, and when she returns to the studio their relationship develops. One night, Sang-kook sees Young-lim forced by her boss into a jeep with an American officer. Sang-kook follows the jeep on a bike, until it stops by the coast. The army officer starts to undress Young-lim. Disgusted, Sang-kook hits the officer in the head and he falls down bleeding. Young-lim screams. Sang-kook is brought before the authorities at the US army base.