A Brand New Life

A Brand New Life (여행자, 2009) — watch online at iFILM — a French-Korean drama directed by Ounie Lecomte, drawn from her own childhood. Nine-year-old Jinhee is dropped off at a Catholic orphanage by her father and left there without explanation. She is certain he will come back.

The other children focus on finding new families. Jinhee waits for one person who isn't coming. Lecomte shoots in long, patient takes with almost no dramatic scoring — the film trusts its silences and the face of young actress Kim Sae-ron, who carries every scene with startling economy. For something this stripped down, the weight of it accumulates steadily.

Stream A Brand New Life online on iFILM.