[Slate] Why Did the Grandmother Dance to the Sound of Buddhist Chants?

A Life That Embodies Both Desire and Liberation
An Elderly Woman Chooses Her Late Lover’s Memorial Over Her Granddaughter’s Wedding
First Korean Winner of Cannes’ La Cinef Top Prize, “First Summer”

Yeongsun (played by Heo Jin), who is over seventy, stands at a crossroads. Her granddaughter's wedding and the 49th-day memorial service for Haksoo, the man she once loved, are scheduled on the same day. While her family's expectations and social conventions lead her toward the wedding, she chooses to follow her heart.

Still cut from the short film 'First Summer'
[Photo by Megabox]

Why does the grandmother head to the temple? Director Heo Gayoung's short film First Summer captures this moment with emotional depth, becoming the first Korean film to win the top prize in the La Cinef section at the Cannes Film Festival.

This achievement is the result of portraying the clash between social obligations and personal desires without a hint of hesitation. In popular culture, the bodies of elderly women have often been concealed or repressed. Director Heo overturns this notion, redefining them as subjects who express desire and joy. By delivering the radical message that one can love and desire even in an aging body, she demonstrates the enduring vitality of life.

Yeongsun hesitates at the bottom of the temple steps, unable to go inside. Then, as she hears the sound of Buddhist chants, she begins to dance as if entranced-the same dance she once shared with Haksoo at a cabaret. Surrendering her body to the chant becomes both a fusion of mourning and life, and an explosive liberation of suppressed emotions. The Buddhist chant is a ritual sound for honoring the deceased, while the dance embodies the physical vitality of the living.

Unlike language, dance is a sensory release that requires no explanation or logic. For Yeongsun, who has lived bound by family expectations and social conventions, it is nothing less than a declaration: "I am still alive, and I am capable of love." Rather than quiet tears or static mourning, her dynamic movements express emotion in a way that leaves a powerful impression on the audience.

Still cut from the short film 'First Summer'
[Photo by Megabox]

The Buddhist chant that accompanies this moment is originally intended for meditative immersion. Yet, as Yeongsun dances, it transforms into a rhythm that liberates her repressed inner self. It breathes vitality into the ritual space of the 49th-day memorial and breaks the mold that society imposes on elderly women.

The film’s layered meaning is amplified by the meticulous devices woven throughout. Director Heo condenses time into a single day or a few hours, creating a structure optimized for the short film format, and propels the narrative through the clear dichotomy of the wedding and the memorial. Within this framework, the camera stays close to the characters, building emotion through the details of everyday life. Prolonged close-ups capture the actor’s expressions and breathing, drawing the viewer into Yeongsun’s inner world.

This "life-oriented" illumination aligns with the intimacy-driven aesthetics that attract the attention of the Cannes Film Festival. In fact, last year’s winner, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, explored the inner world of an elderly woman, while the 2023 winner, Norwegian Offspring, addressed male sexual repression-both raising questions that remain relevant today.

Still cut from the short film 'First Summer'
[Photo by Megabox]

Director Heo also attempts a shift in perspective. By presenting elderly women not as living passively while awaiting death, but as living bodies who practice desire and liberation, she asks us: What does it mean to grow old, and is true liberation possible?