Our Season

Our Season delves into the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, love, and regret, exploring the deep-seated emotions often left unspoken between family members. The film takes its protagonist, Bok-ja, on a poignant journey after her death, where she finds herself in a peculiar yet touching situation. The story begins with Bok-ja's passing, but instead of moving on to the afterlife, she is granted a rare opportunity: a special vacation. This respite permits her to visit her daughter, Jin-joo, in the flesh, despite being deceased. The idea of this unusual vacation sparks curiosity, and the film's narrative slowly reveals the nature of this unique circumstance. Upon arriving in Jin-joo's world, Bok-ja is met with mixed emotions. She had expected to find her daughter living a fulfilling life, possibly with a family of her own. However, instead, she discovers that Jin-joo is still unmarried and managing a small, quaint diner in their old family home. The contrast between Bok-ja's expectations and reality hits her with a wave of frustration. Bok-ja becomes increasingly dissatisfied as she observes Jin-joo navigating the day-to-day routines of her life. A deep-seated sense of disappointment festers as Bok-ja grapples with the unfulfilled longings she had harbored for her daughter during her lifetime. One of the primary sources of frustration for Bok-ja is the inability to ask the questions and express her feelings that she had left unresolved, often swept under the rug in her relationship with Jin-joo. As Bok-ja spends more time with Jin-joo, she starts to observe the quiet desperation and unspoken pain that lingers beneath her daughter's seemingly carefree facade. Jin-joo, though outwardly confident and poised, is secretly struggling to find her place in the world, grappling with emotions that Bok-ja cannot understand. Their time spent together becomes a poignant exploration of lost opportunities, missed chances, and unfinished conversations. Bok-ja grapples with the fact that, in her life, she never adequately expressed her feelings or showed her love and concern to her daughter in a genuine way. Confronted with the knowledge of Jin-joo's struggles and her own guilt-ridden conscience, Bok-ja seeks to mend the broken connections between them. In an attempt to rectify the past, she embarks on a mission to reveal her true feelings to Jin-joo, even though she realizes that her words and actions may fall flat on someone who has long since grown accustomed to life on her own terms. The climax of Our Season revolves around Bok-ja's efforts to bridge the emotional divide between her and Jin-joo. As they sit together, sipping coffee, and reminiscing about memories, Bok-ja tries to articulate the love, regret, and longing she had never dared to express during their time together. It is in these moments that Bok-ja's words and actions, though inadequate, hold a deep emotional resonance for Jin-joo. Through her daughter's fragile yet profound understanding, Bok-ja finds the longed-for solace in the knowledge that Jin-joo knows her pain and acknowledges the unspoken bond that once existed between them. In a poignant display of love and acceptance, Jin-joo begins to process the complex emotional landscape of their mother-daughter relationship, gradually letting go of the weight of unresolved emotions. The film concludes on a note of bittersweet closure. As Bok-ja's vacation comes to an end, she returns to the afterlife with a newfound appreciation for the love they shared, both in life and in death. Though still grappling with the imperfections of her relationship with Jin-joo, she leaves behind a memory that will forever serve as a reminder of the importance of expressing love and concern in the present moment. As Our Season delves deeper into the labyrinthine world of human emotions, it offers a poignant reflection on the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships. It is an evocative and moving portrayal of love, redemption, and forgiveness, where two souls from different realms are united in their quest for acceptance and reconciliation.