Solace (2006 South Korean Film)

Solace (Korean: 사랑할 때 이야기하는 것들; RR: Salanghal Ddae Iyagihaneun Geotdeul) is a 2006 South Korean drama film directed by Byun Seung-Wook. The film explores the lives of two individuals facing personal and familial burdens who find comfort in one another.

Solace film poster — The official theatrical poster for Solace.

Plot

In-Gu (Han Suk-Kyu) is a pharmacist who balances his professional life with the responsibility of caring for his mentally disabled brother. His past attempts at finding personal happiness were thwarted when his former fiancée's family rejected him due to the stigma surrounding his brother's condition.

Hye-Ran (Kim Ji-Soo) works at a small retail booth in the Dongdaemyun Shopping Center. Burdened by significant debts left by her late father, she occasionally sells counterfeit goods to survive. The two protagonists meet by chance and develop a relationship, finding emotional support in each other despite the mounting pressures of their respective lives.

Cast

The film features a central cast of experienced South Korean actors:

Han Suk-Kyu as In-Gu
Kim Ji-Soo as Hye-Ran
Lee Han-Wi as In-Sub (In-Gu's brother)
Jung Hye-Sun as In-Gu's mother

Kim Ji-Soo portrays the lead character, Hye-Ran.

Scene from Solace — A scene featuring the characters in Solace.

Production

Solace was directed by Byun Seung-Wook, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Lee Hyang-Hee. The film was produced by Min In-Ki and Kim Nam-Soo, with cinematography by Lee In-Young. It was distributed by Cinema Service and released in South Korea on November 30, 2006, with a runtime of 114 minutes.