Director: Son Tae Gyum, Shin So Jeong, Kim Hee Jin.

Starring: Park Hee Bon, Yoon Jin Uk.

Running Time: 92 Minutes

Synopsis: An anthology film in which entries into a short story writing competition are envisioned as films.

The unfortunately titled NEIGHBORS, shares its name with so many films that it is difficult to find much information on the indie darling. The Zac Efron and Seth Rogen comedy already hit this year (although retitled BAD NEIGHBOURS in the UK), and there’s even a Korean film from 2012 with the English title THE NEIGHBORS. In other words, films have to stop using this title. NEIGHBORS, looks at neighbours and neighbourhoods through a series of short films, connected via a rather cool premise in which a local branch of the government are looking to award short stories with a prize of 1,000,000 Won. As certain stories come to be discussed and selected, we see them envisioned as films.

Anthologies are usually reserved for the horror genre in these parts, so it’s great to see Korea branching out the idea to include drama. Not only that, but the wraparound, usually the weakest and most unnecessary part of an anthology, is also very sweet and strong in its own right. It sees Su Yeon, a community worker, having to stay up all night in order to select winners for the writing competition, while an admirer stays behind to help her. It’s nothing grand, but we feel the excitement of uncovering stories through their eyes.

The separate stories, unlike many anthologies, don’t differ greatly in quality or style. Each one feels part of a whole, suggesting that maybe the directors of each piece worked closely together. The stories are also very realistic, and cover some strong themes and hot topics, especially in South Korea. The first focuses on a homosexual relationship that starts off a prostitute with their client, the second sees a Korean-Chinese illegal immigrant struggle to keep a job and save money, while the third has a young man work hard in order to save up money for a school trip.

With no stand out, it has to be said that every story represents an emotional and financial struggle of some kind. Each of the protagonists in the stories is saving money for some reason, but situations disturb their strong work ethic and put their monetary status at risk.

As a trilogy, the films compliment each other really well. Although similar, they are also incredibly different in tone. The first story is fairly neutral, while the second is very depressing, and the third is filled with hope and humour. The protagonists are all very much easy to identify with, as they have familiar goals. Whether it’s saving for school trips, new trainers, or something much more important. All the sections are short, but we still get the feel of a lengthy struggle.

Naturalistic performances and writing is scattered throughout and the idea of such stories building a community is eye-opening to a degree. All our neighbours have specific stories to be told, and although the film’s title suggests unity, these are rather solitary and lonely tales, suggesting we need to pay more attention to the more immediate world around us. NEIGHBORS is a wonderful little gem that takes some brave turns without leaving scars, like a slap across the face rather than blunt force trauma. For new talent like this, film festivals are just perfect.

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