The Last Dining Table (2006 Film)

The Last Dining Table (Korean: 마지막 밥상; RR: Majimak babsang) is a 2006 South Korean independent drama film written and directed by Gyeong-tae Roh. The film is noted for its meditative, minimalist narrative style and its exploration of social themes within the outskirts of Seoul.

Plot

The film presents an enigmatic portrait of several characters living on the periphery of Seoul. The narrative follows a grandmother seeking to divorce her deceased husband, a mother employed at a mortuary, a father struggling with a gambling addiction, and a teenage son working as a cabaret singer. The story utilizes sparse dialogue to examine the collapse of traditional family values and the impact of societal instability, eventually converging these disparate lives in its conclusion.

Production and Release

Produced with a budget of approximately US$53,000, The Last Dining Table reflects the aesthetic of South Korean independent cinema of the mid-2000s. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival on August 10, 2006, and was later released in South Korea on April 11, 2008. It has a total runtime of 91 minutes.

Cast

• Kim Do-Yeon as the daughter
• Baek Hyun-Joo as the mother
• Hong Suk-Youn as the father
• Hwang Bok-Soon
• Oh Heung-Ki
• Lee Moo-Nyoung as the district office employee
• Yoo Byung-Sun as the factory owner