Old Partner

2008 South Korean film

October 4, 2008 (2008-10-04) (Pusan International Film Festival)
January 15, 2009 (2009-01-15) (South Korea)

Running time

78 minutesCountrySouth KoreaLanguageKorean

Old Partner (Korean: 워낭 소리; RR: Wonang Sori; lit. "Cowbell Sound"^[1]) is a 2008 South Korean documentary film directed by Lee Chung-ryoul. Set in the small rural town of Hanul-ri in Sangun-myeon, Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, the film focuses on the relationship between a 40-year-old cow and an old farmer in his 80s.^[2]

The film was a surprise success. It attracted over 2.93 million viewers, setting the record for the highest grossing independent film in Korean film history.^[1]^[3]^[4] It won the PIFF Mecenat Award at the Pusan International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Korean Independent Film Awards.^[5] Lee Chung-ryoul became the first independent film director to receive the Best New Director award at the Baeksang Arts Awards.^[3]

Awards and nominations

Won the PIFF Mecenat Award at the 2008 Pusan International Film Festival
Won the Audience Award at the 2008 Seoul Independent Film Festival
Nominated for the World Cinema Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Won the Audience Award at the Korean Independent Film Awards
Won Best New Director at the 2009 Baeksang Arts Awards
Won Best International Documentary at the 2009 Italian Environmental Film Festival^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "Documentary Film Has Mass Appeal". KBS World. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
^ "Old Partner". Sundance Institute. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
^ ^a ^b "Old Partner Rattles Korean Film Scene". KBS World. 2 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-03-04.
^ Kim, Nemo (15 December 2014). "Korea Box Office: Local Documentary Tops Weekend Chart". Variety. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
^ 연초 극장가 '독립 영화' 화제작 잇단 개봉. SBS News (in Korean). 5 January 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
^ Old Partner – Wyo-nang so-ri