WIFF - Kai's Place (short)

This film was shot in Korea on 35mm and that’s pretty much why it’s getting any festival play at all.  The director was there (25 and from Canada) and explained how a film school he contacted in Seoul was willing to lend him all the production equipment and crew if they could use his work as part of their reel.  Added to that, his grandparent’s owned a farm in the country so that became his second location.  The film itself was massively derivative of “Lost in Translation” as the young Kyle walks around Seoul-- a stranger in a strange land.  One or two moments of humor, but then the film jumps into the unrealistic, attempting to satisfy the director’s need to feel like a poet, complete with girl staring out the window baring her soul—after knowing this guy for about 2 hours.  Some good things were that the cinematography was top-notch and the main actress was beautiful, but other than that it was a whole lot of technique and not much story.  And the boom mic was visible in two of the scenes.  Seriously.  A generous two out of five.