The Plant from the Canaries

“Kim(May), a woman in her early thirties, struggles to regain balance after a sudden breakup. Now that she is back on her own, memories of her time in Seoul keep haunting her.”

Synopsis

Kim(May), a thirty-year-old screenwriter, is having difficulties since her partner Ben moved out. She began therapy and isn’t leaving the apartment. Insomnia led her back to her youth in Seoul, where she once had a street dog. On a day at the park, Kim(May) comes across her ex-boyfriend, a British fashion designer. The two had dated for seven months before she met Ben. Out of frustration, Kim(May) yells at him, something she later regrets. Nadine, Kim(May)’s friend, comes to visit her. However, Kim(May) is still stuck in her memory land. Hoping to get back together, she suggests the couple’s therapy, but Ben resists. At a Tango event, Kim(May) encounters Shando, a Hungarian dancer. Back home, she receives an unexpected visit from a ghost. Overwhelmed by memories of the flat, Kim(May) makes the decision to move out. But finding a new place to live is challenging. A Christmas Eve mishap leads her to a neighbor’s door. On the lakeside, Kim(May) confides to Nadine a dream about Ben’s death. She comes to understand that her struggle isn’t just the breakup but a difficulty in saying farewell.

Cast: Hyeonsu Jung, Daria Wichmann | Director, screenplay, editing: Lan-xi Ruan | Cinematographer: Jonathan Steil | Producers: Lan-xi Ruan, Francesca Cottafavi | Produced by DFFB; with the support of ARRI, 25p *cine support; in association with Chickpea Entertainment, Berlin, Germany.