Elder abuse can take many forms. It can be financial, emotional, physical, or entail neglect or abandonment. But it’s not often the subject of feature films, particularly in Asia.
That’s part of what makes the South Korean film Picnic so intriguing. Two elderly women, Eun-sim (Na Moon-hee) and Geum-soon (Kim Yeong-ok) are old friends from Namhae, a county in South Geongsang Province. Geum-soon remains in their small town, selling vegetables in the market. Eun-sim, on the other hand, moved to Seoul, where she’s a wealthy widow living in a gorgeous villa.
Eun-sim’s businessman son, Hae-woong, is married to Geum-soon’s daughter, Mi-hyeon. There’s an early hint of trouble when Eun-sim notices Hae-woong rifling through her belongings. She asks if he’s in search of money again. Moments later, Eun-sim’s daughter-in-law shows her a news clip on her phone. It reveals that her husband’s chicken franchise business is facing a consumer boycott due to unethical conduct. It’s clear from this scene that the company and the couple’s marriage are in trouble.
But the tension is interrupted when Geum-soon, also a widow, makes an unannounced visit to the home. The two seniors decide to go out for burgers, where their chemistry shines. Na and Kim are highly regarded veteran Korean actors and their banter is authentic, amusing, and heartwarming.
Watch the trailer for Picnic.
Growing old is no picnic
Geum-soon invites Eun-sim to stay at her home, marking the first time in 60 years that Eun-sim returns to her hometown. For all appearances, it’s a joyful road movie. An elderly man who owns a brewery, Tae-ho (Keun-hyong Park), recognizes Eun-sim in a café and reminds her that she was his first love. The trio of become fast friends, rekindling the joy of youth.
But all sorts of issues are bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to disrupt their happy existence. Among them is the behaviour of the two women’s sons, as well as the reaction of one lady in town to Eun-sim’s return.
Picnic is full of warmth, high production values, and outstanding acting by the three charismatic Korean seniors who carry the film. Director Yong-gyun Kim (Wanee & Junah) makes terrific use of lighting as the lead characters remain resilient and optimistic while coping with the ravages of aging. The film also benefits from idyllic scenery along the southern Korean coast.
Yet reality repeatedly intrudes, requiring extraordinary measures to manage. If there’s a moral to this story, it’s that good friends are like fine wine. They only get better with time.
LNY Splash, the Society of We Are Canadians Too, and the Victoria Film Festival will co-present Picnic at 2 p.m. on February 1 at the VIC Theatre (808 Douglas Street) in Victoria. Purchase tickets on the Victoria Film Festival website. In Vancouver, LNY Splash and VIFF will co-present Picnic at 7:30 p.m. on February 9 at the VIFF Centre. Purchase tickets on the VIFF website. The film is in Korean with English subtitles.
For more information about films in the Lunar New Year series, visit the LNY Splash website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia, Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social, and Instagram @PancouverMedia. Follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social.
