Synopsis Do-seong(YooMin)isachildmonkwholivesatasmallmountaintemplewiththeheadmonk(ByeonKi-jong),learningtheteachingsofBuddha.Hebecomesattachedtoayoungwidow(ChoiEun-hee)whocomestoprayatthetemple,andthechildlesswidowentreatstheheadmonktoletherraiseDo-seongasherownson.ConflictensueswhenDo-seong'srealmother(KimSeon-young)appears,butsheleavesthetempleforthesakeofherson'sfuture.Onthedaythewidowistotakethechilddownfromthemountain,theheadmonkdiscoversthatDo-seonghaskilledabirdbyensnaringitinatrapanddecidesnottolettheboygointothesecularworld.WhenDo-seongfindsoutthathisrealmotherhasbeentothetemple,hesetsouttofindher. Notes Afilmthathasgarneredrecognitionforitscinematographyanddirectionbyeliminatingsentimentalityandunaffectedlycapturingthequietlifeofamountaintemple.AHometowninHeartdemonstratesthecameratechniqueanddirectorialskillofmoviesthatappearedaftertheliberationofKorea. AHometowninHeart,adaptedfromplaywrightHamSe-deok'sALittleMonk(Dong-seung),washaileduponitsreleaseasamasterpiecethatmarkedanewpinnacleinKoreanmoviemakingaftertheliberation.Eschewingnew-schoolsentimentalitytoquietlyexpressaboy'slongingformaternallove,thefilmunfoldstheeverydaylivesofthreegenerationstheheadmonk,ayoungmonk,andalittlechildmonkagainstthebackdropofaquiettempleinthemountains.ThelongshotsutilizedbydirectorofcinematographyHanHyung-motocapturethebeautifulsceneryofthemountaintemplefromadistancereceivedgreatcriticalacclaimatthetime.Also,eachofthefilm'scharactersisconvincinglyportrayedthroughtheskillfuldirectionofYoonYong-kyu.Inparticular,thescenewhichexpressesDo-seong'sdesperateyearningforamother'sloveandhisbirthmother'spastvisittothetemplebycombiningthemintoadreamsequencerevealsdeepconsiderationforarticulatingstoryandemotionviaacompressedvisualgrammarwithouttendingtowardsentimentalism.Themovie'sfinalscene,inwhichDo-seongawakensfromhisdreamandsetsoffdownthepathinsearchofhismother,isbothtouchingandbeautiful.ThefilmalsofeaturesChoiEun-hee,inthepartoftheyoungwidowwhowarmlyembracesDo-seongwithherlove,inoneofherfirstroles. Afterword -LeeKang-su,writingunderthepseudonymofKwakIl-byeong,firstadaptedplaywrightHamSe-deok'sALittleMonk(Dong-seung)intoascreenplay,whichwasthenshotforthesilverscreenwithadditionalembellishmentsbythedirector.
