San Diego Asian Film Festival 2009

In this magical documentary, we learn of the special bond that developed between Choi Won-gyun, a 79-year-old old Korean farmer, and his trusty 45-year-old ox. The ox, who lived more than twice as long as the average life expectancy for its species, and Choi had spent the previous four decades working hard in the fields, utterly devoid of modern farming technologies. As they reach the twilight of their lives together, the pair grows to resemble each other in many ways, from their stubborn personalities all the way down to the limping gaits with which they walk. Choi's wisecracking wife provides comic relief as she continually demonstrates her disdain for the pair, harping on about how her husband and his ancient ox have ruined her life with their slow, backwards ways. However, the true star of OLD PARTNER is the dignified old ox, whose astonishing "humanity" will touch you.

After roughly three years, during which he patiently shot hundreds of hours of footage, director Lee Chung-ryoul has succeeded in crafting an absolute masterpiece that lovingly shows respect for tradition and old-fashioned values in the face of both the modernization and globalization that have taken over South Korea. In doing so, Lee has created a film phenomenon that captured the imagination of the Korean public. Due mainly to incredibly positive word-of-mouth, OLD PARTNER became the surprise Korean box office hit of 2009, by not only becoming the first documentary film to receive a wide release Korea, but by also grossing over $14 million, making it one of the top grossing Korean films of the year. The commercial success of OLD PARTNER was matched by critical acclaim internationally, as the film received a Grand Jury nomination at the prestigious 2009 Sundance Film Festival and a Cinematic Vision Award at the 2009 AFI Silverdocs Film Festival. – Gene Huh

Co-presented by:
Buddhist Temple of San Diego