Searching for the Elephant (2009 Film)

Searching for the Elephant (Korean: 펜트하우스 코끼리; RR: Pyenteuhauseu Kokkiri) is a 2009 South Korean drama film written and directed by Jeong Seung-Ku. The film examines the lives of three childhood friends who appear successful on the surface but are secretly grappling with personal crises, including schizophrenia, sex addiction, and infidelity.

Promotional poster for Searching for the Elephant — Promotional poster for the 2009 film Searching for the Elephant.

Plot

The narrative follows three men who struggle to maintain the facade of a perfect life. As they attempt to navigate their respective internal agonies, their lives become increasingly intertwined and complicated.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast portraying the central friends and the women in their lives:

Jang Hyuk as Hyun-Woo
Jo Dong-Hyuk as Min-Suk
Lee Sang-Woo as Jun-Hyuk
Lee Min-Jung as Su-Yeon
Hwang Woo Seul Hye as Ma-Ri
Park Soo-Jin as Ji-Na
Byun Hee-Bong as a zoo official

Actor Jang Hyuk — Jang Hyuk, who plays the character Hyun-Woo.

Actor Jo Dong-Hyuk — Jo Dong-Hyuk, who plays the character Min-Suk.

Actor Lee Sang-Woo — Lee Sang-Woo, who plays the character Jun-Hyuk.

Actress Lee Min-Jung — Lee Min-Jung, who plays the character Su-Yeon.

Actress Hwang Woo Seul Hye — Hwang Woo Seul Hye, who plays the character Ma-Ri.

Actress Park Soo-Jin — Park Soo-Jin, who plays the character Ji-Na.

Actor Byun Hee-Bong — Byun Hee-Bong, who plays a zoo official.

Production and Release

Searching for the Elephant was released in South Korea on November 5, 2009. The film has a runtime of 145 minutes. During its opening weekend (November 6–8, 2009), the film opened at number four at the South Korean box office, selling 78,731 tickets across 277 screens and accounting for 8% of all tickets sold during that period.

Still from Searching for the Elephant — A scene from the film.