Il Mare (2000 Film)

Il Mare (Korean: 시월애; RR: Siworae) is a 2000 South Korean romantic fantasy film directed by Lee Hyun-seung. The title is derived from the Italian phrase for "the sea," which serves as the name of the seaside house where the story unfolds.

Poster for the film Il Mare — Promotional poster for the 2000 film Il Mare.

Plot

The narrative follows Han Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae), an architect who moves into a house named "Il Mare" in 1997. He discovers a letter in the mailbox from a woman who claims to be the future occupant of the house. As they continue to exchange letters, they realize they are living in different timelines—Sung-hyun in 1997 and Kim Eun-joo (Gianna Jun) in 1999. Through their correspondence, the two develop a deep emotional connection while attempting to bridge the temporal gap between them.

Lee Jung-jae as Han Sung-hyun — Lee Jung-jae portrays the architect Han Sung-hyun.

Cast

The film features the following primary cast members:

Lee Jung-jae as Han Sung-hyun
Gianna Jun as Kim Eun-joo
Kim Mu-saeng as Professor
Jo Seung-yeon as Jae-hyeok
Min Yun-jae as Jung-suk
Choi Yoon-young as Hye-won
Nam Jeong-hee as Eun-joo's mother
Kim Ji-moo as Ji-hoon
Kim Gwang-in as Cafe owner

Gianna Jun as Kim Eun-joo — Gianna Jun portrays Kim Eun-joo.

Production

The film was directed by Lee Hyun-seung with a screenplay written by Kim Eun-jung and Yeo Ji-na. The cinematography was handled by Hong Kyung-pyo. The production was managed by Jo Min-hwan and Yun Sang-oh. It was released in South Korea on September 9, 2000, with a runtime of 105 minutes.

Scene from the film Il Mare — A scene from the film showcasing the house Il Mare.

Reception

Il Mare was featured at the 13th New York Asian Film Festival in 2014.