Dream (2008 South Korean Film)
Dream (Korean: 비몽; RR: Bi-mong) is a 2008 South Korean drama film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. The film is noted for its surreal narrative structure and its exploration of the subconscious connection between two strangers.
Plot
The story follows Jin, a man who experiences a vivid nightmare involving a traffic accident. Upon waking, he travels to the location of his dream and discovers that an accident has occurred exactly as he envisioned. He follows the police to the home of Ran, a woman accused of the hit-and-run. Ran denies the charges, claiming she was asleep at the time of the incident. Jin becomes convinced that there is a supernatural link between them, discovering that whenever he dreams, Ran physically acts out the events of his dreams while she is asleep.
Production
Dream was produced by Kim Ki-duk and Cho Sung-kyu under the studio Kim Ki-duk Film. The film is significant in the director's filmography as it is his second feature to cast a non-Korean actor in a lead role, following his previous work Breath. Kim Ki-duk cast Japanese actor Joe Odagiri after being impressed by his performance in the film Sway.
Themes and Symbolism
The film makes extensive use of the butterfly as a central symbolic motif. This imagery draws inspiration from the philosophical "butterfly dream" parable attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, which questions the nature of reality and the distinction between the dreamer and the dream.
Cast
- Joe Odagiri as Jin
- Lee Na-young as Ran
- Park Ji-a as Jin's ex-lover
- Jang Mi-hee as the doctor
- Jin Tae-hyun as Ran's ex-lover
Release and Festivals
Dream was released in South Korea on October 9, 2008. The film was screened at several international film festivals, including the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival, where it held its North American premiere, and the 2009 Fantasia Film Festival in Canada.