Vol. 09, Issue 03 March 2009 
A Heartwarming Film, WARNANGSORI (Old Partner)
Have you ever shared your feelings with an ox for your entire life? The documentary Warnangsori has moved almost half million people in Korea deeply. This is the story about gatherings and farewells, and with the relationship between an eighty-year-old farmer and a forty-year-old ox through the last year 2006. This film is filled with the sound of ‘WARNANG,’ which means ‘cowbell,’ that is hung around the ox’s neck from beginning to end. Even though there are no narrations, dramatic conflicts or even good-looking characters compared to other films, it has delivered a warm heart to people living in a hard world saying what sincere communication and friendship is.
This film won the PIFF MAESENA Prize at the Pusan Film Festival and the Film Audiences’ Prize at the Seoul Independent Film Festival in 2008. In addition, they made it to the world documentary competition as an outstanding screen achievement at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. Nobody expected it to be a box-office hit, because that kind of independent film was made with only one hundred million won, so it’s hard to advertise it very much. Then why does it set the world on fire? That is just because it refreshes our memories of our parents getting old with time and induces nostalgia for that which has been forgotten, and showcases the beauty of rural communities and pastoral scenery. The friendly relationship between an elderly farmer, Mr. Choi, and an ox growing senile flows like a stream laughing in the sun.
“Even though this animal cannot talk, for me, he is much better than people.”
In this movie, it can be easily seen that the elderly farmer and the ox are wasting away to a skeleton, but labor is the only way to communicate with each other and is their reason to exist in this world. Actually, the average life span of the ox is just fifteen years, but they can live as long as forty years, which is a little short of a miracle. He offered his life and service for thirty years for his elderly owner, who always takes care of him with profound affection. This farmer was a physically handicapped person who lost the use of his left leg in his childhood, but he engaged in farming by depending upon an old and infirm ox his entire life.
Despite the fact that his toe was broken and he could not work anymore due to chronic disease, he kept cutting fodder for his ox every day. Furthermore, he never used harmful agrichemicals. Rather, he read the animal’s mind and understood his emotions and desires. Mr. Choi is quite a blunt person but whenever he met a villager, he put a smile on his face and talked about the precious memory of an ox that came to his house by himself while he was falling asleep after dropping by Bonghwa village. This revealed their similarities as they continued living together.
“The radio is worn out, my old man is also worn out”
These funny words are from Mrs. Lee,a 77-year-old lady. She is like a grandmother for the elderly farmer and the ox.
She was a beautiful lady when she was young, and still now her figure is good-looking, her voice is lively. She married Mr. Choi when she was sixteen. Since then, she has done everything for her husband and her nine kids.
She has been always devoting her life to her husband, but her husband was devoted to the ox. For this reason, we can see her disgruntled expression toward the ox throughout the film. Each time she looks at the ox, her eyes looks jealous, but we all can feel her cordial and genial love in her eyes. This is why we do not find any unpleasantness when she says “I want that ox dead. I die or the ox die–we have to have a resolution.”
During the film, she speaks as a narrator. Generally, it is common that narration leads in documentary films. However, this film is particularly guided by her grumbling about her husband and the ox and by deploring her difficult, arduous fate. Audiences shoudn’t feel uncomfortable with her grumbling and deploring, because we all know that it is based on her love for her husband and the ox. She even speaks with affectionate feeling and tenderhearted emotion.
There is no doubt that she is the point of humor in this film. Documentary films tend to be tedious and monotonous. However, Warnangsori is quite different than other films. Mrs. Lee always interrupts the mutual understanding between Mr. Choi and the ox at the right time and saying extremely amusing things. In my opinion, she is the key source for fun, because people laugh when she speaks to Mr. Choi, even if she is swearing. I think people do recognize what she feels in her words.
This film was released in only seven theaters at first, but the news about Warnangsori has circulated by word of mouth. So now, the film is showing at 128 theatres. Therefore, you can see this film in any city. You can see this film with English subtitles at a movie theater in Myeong-dong, Seoul (Joong-ang cinema). After watching the film, I now can understand why it has become so popular. It has emotion, enjoyment, nostalgia and real daily life.
You will understand the true meaning of faith, enduring friendship, and peaceful coexistence through this touching story.
By Lee Hwan & Kim Sori (GIC Interns)
