In his forties, Yuncheol (Park Jong-hwan) is divorced and has failed to live up to his early potential as a sculptor. But new currents are swirling in his life. For one, his artistically gifted daughter Gina (Lee Yeon) has decided to drop out of high school and enter a Buddhist temple. Yuncheol, who himself once imagined becoming a monk, is not sure what to think of his daughter’s decision, but he makes an effort to understand her. At the same time, he forms a romantic attachment with an independent-minded history lecturer Youngji (Kang Kyung-hun). As time passes, nothing in Yuncheol’s life will proceed according to plan, but these relationships will develop and deepen in unexpected ways. A quietly observed film that gains in resonance throughout its running time, A Lonely Island in the Distant Sea is a thoughtful consideration of the things that are important in life.

Darcy Paquet