My Mother, the Mermaid
2004 South Korean film
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My Mother, the Mermaid (Korean: 인어공주; RR: Ineogongju; lit. 'The Mermaid Princess') is a 2004 South Korean romantic fantasy film directed by Park Heung-sik. It follows a young woman who quarrels with her mother but is somehow transported back in time and sees her parents' courtship. In her youth, her mother was a haenyeo, a traditional freediver.[1][2][3]
| My Mother, the Mermaid | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 인어공주 |
| Hanja | 人漁公主 |
| RR | Ineogongju |
| MR | Inŏgongju |
| Directed by | Park Heung-sik |
| Written by | Park Heung-sik Song Hye-jin |
| Produced by | Lee Joon-dong |
| Starring | Jeon Do-yeon Park Hae-il Go Doo-shim |
| Cinematography | Choi Young-taek |
| Edited by | Kim Yang-il |
| Music by | Jo Seong-woo |
| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
Synopsis
Na-young is an office worker who lives with her seemingly emotionally non-existent father Jin-kook, and loud cynical mother Yeon-soon. As time passes, she is becoming more and more like her mother Yeon-soon.
One day, her father suddenly disappears and she skips her international airplane flight to find him. By entering her father's hometown, she is somehow transported back in time to when her parents' relationship was just beginning. She meets her mother, now a poor young woman working hard as a haenyo to send her younger brother to school to get the education she never received. Her father is a charming man who works as a postmaster who delivers mail all over the town where her mother lived. He befriends Yeon-soon and teaches her how to read and write.
Na-young is taken in by the young Yeon-soon and, as they are now roughly the same age, the two become very close. Na-young is able to experience the trials, heartbreaks, and celebrations of Yeon-soon before she herself is suddenly transported back into the present time.
Cast
- Jeon Do-yeon as Na-young / young Yeon-soon
- Park Hae-il as young Jin-kook
- Go Doo-shim as Yeon-soon
- Kim Bong-geun as Jin-kook
- Lee Sun-kyun as Do-hyeon
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards[4] | 2005 | Best Director | Park Heung-sik | Won |
| Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Nominated | ||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2004 | Best Film | My Mother, the Mermaid | Nominated |
| Best Director | Park Heung-sik | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Go Doo-shim | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Choi Young-taek | Nominated | ||
| Busan Film Critics Awards | 2004 | Best Supporting Actress | Go Doo-shim | Won |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2005 | Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Won |
| Director's Cut Awards | 2004 | Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Won |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2005 | Best Director | Park Heung-sik | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Go Doo-shim | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Park Heung-sik and Song Hye-jin | Nominated | ||
| Korean Film Awards | 2004 | Best Screenplay | Park Heung-sik and Song Hye-jin | Nominated |
| Best Actor | Park Hae-il | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Jeon Do-yeon | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Go Doo-shim | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Choi Young-taek | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Cho Geun-hyun | Nominated | ||
| Best Music | Jo Seong-woo | Nominated |