Mother and the Bear, The (2024)

[bunniefuu]

Yes, come

on, come out, children.

Good evening.

You worked well, today.

Good

evening, Miss Kim.

Goodbye, Miss Kim.

- Come on, children,

we get in the car.

Sumi. It's me, mom.

So, how's your new apartment?

Have you moved in?

I just call

to wish you a good day.

Call me when you can.

It's me again.

There is a nice Canadian boy

who stays at the inn, right now.

He's really handsome.

Did you meet a nice guy there?

Eh ? A nice Korean, perhaps?

Are you sleeping?

I never know what

time it is at your place.

You know, if you came

back to live in Korea,

I think you could meet

a charming young man.

It worries me to know

that you're all alone there.

What if something

happened to you?

Young people today no

longer answer the phone.

Eh ? Call me!

- I don't see you.

Where are you?

Sara, are you at the

right door? Are you sure?

Oh, wait. I see

you. I see you now.

Sara, I'm here! Sarah, hurry up.

- Okay.

Come up, quickly.

We're going to

be given a ticket.

Oh, finally, you've arrived!

Oh !

Did you have a good flight?

- She had a nasty

fall in an alley,

and she fainted. Apparently,

she fractured the

scaphoid bone in her wrist,

but the doctor says

it's nothing serious.

Doctor.

Sumi needs to rest.

She needs to rest.

- And then, it's

only a matter of time

- before she wakes up.

- Don't worry,

she will wake up.

- Actually, we are convinced

that everything is

going to be okay.

- You don't have to worry, okay?

- Oh. They talk nonsense

on the news these days.

- Whose state of

health remains stable--

- Bears in Winnipeg.

They're just trying

to scare people.

You never know.

Maybe something positive

will come out of all this.

What I mean,

it's that now, you are here,

with your daughter.

- None of this would

have happened

if Sumi had had a good

husband by her side,

to take care of her.

Are you still not awake?

Listen,

I apologize for getting

angry on the phone,

just now.

It's just what Aunt Minji said

that she hadn't seen you

since the last Lunar New Year.

We would like to hear from you,

know how you are.

- Sara, be careful,

the ground is slippery.

Are you taking his

suitcase? Be careful.

Wait. I will help you.

Let me help you.

Attention.

- So she just moved here?

I hope there are no bedbugs.

Oh !

It's an old apartment, right?

Mom, can I go out?

- You can go.

You too.

- Uh...

- Thank you.

- Sara, I know you

don't want help,

but I'll let you

have the car, hmm?

We have another

one, we don't need it.

You don't have to pay anything.

- No, it's okay. I thank you.

- Listen, Sara,

even if you don't use it,

I'll leave you the keys, okay?

Let me do this for you.

- THANKS.

- Oh, uh...

We're going to find a good

restaurant for New Year's Eve.

Sumi will be better by then.

I'm sure of it.

When you told

me you wanted a change,

I thought you were

finally coming home.

But in fact, you wanted to move

in another apartment.

Don't you feel alone?

The other day,

I remembered that

your father left us,

25 years ago.

Without you two,

Its work at the inn

that keeps me busy.

I don't understand

why people love

traveling around the world.

Why live so far from

home for so long?

Honestly, I don't understand.

But one day...

Maybe I'll find out why.

And then I can finally

understand you a little better.

Hmm... Where do I put it?

There you go. That's it.

I'll be back soon,

my dear Man-hee.

Minji, are you there?

Answer, please.

Your car is missing, I

think someone stole it.

I'm sorry!

I will pay you

back, it's promised.

This place is truly awful.

I don't understand

how Sumi can live here.

It's terrible. It feels

like we're in Siberia.

- Dad ? Are you busy?

Is it that...

Can we talk to each other, now?

Ajumma,

I will take care of everything.

You are...

Korean, right?

Um... yes.

- Your parents must be proud,

to have such a handsome boy,

so big and so kind.

Please take me to the hospital.

You are welcome.

That's where I

was going, me too.

Oh, but...

Oh. So, are you a doctor?

- No, in fact it's my

girlfriend who is a doctor,

Ajummah?

Ajumma, are you okay?

- Dating sites.

Why did you never

talk to me about this?

He told me it's an app

which allows you to

see photos of people,

the profession they practice...

and even their age.

And if you like a boy,

you can chat with him.

That's how he met a doctor.

As soon as you get better, you

are going to register on a dating site,

and you can meet a doctor, too.

A nice Korean.

Don't worry,

Mom will find you a great boy.

- Oh! You scared me.

- You are going to

make kimchi, it seems.

Uh...

Yes.

My daughter has practically

nothing to eat at home,

SO...

I understand.

Mom's homemade kimchi,

it is the best remedy.

Hmm...

Hmm... What is this here?

YOU...

Want to try my noodles?

They are excellent.

- We arrived. It's here.

It doesn't matter.

Don't insist, please.

- I'm waiting for you here.

- Okay. How are you.

Dad.

Dad, where are you going?

Dad !

Don't you want to talk to me?

Open the door, please.

She's outside.

What's the problem?

Dad, please. (knock-knock!)

She is...

Can you at least

say hello to him?

Ah, and then sh*t...

He doesn't want to talk to

me. We're leaving, come on.

THANKS.

That's $15.

- The kimchi was

really delicious.

Was it you who did it?

This is my wife's recipe.

That's all she left behind.

- Ooh there! I'm sorry.

- What I mean,

is that she returned to Korea.

She didn't like

the climate here.

He... It's too cold.

Next time,

you can taste mine.

My kimchi.

Oh !

- Are you okay?

This is parliament, and

the statue that is up there

- is very famous in Winnipeg.

- Hmm.

- People call him

the Golden Boy.

You know, I've lived

here for a long time,

but I haven't had the chance yet

to visit this building.

It would be good

if you served more

authentic dishes.

It's a Korean restaurant.

Don't take it the wrong

way, your food is good.

It will soon be the

Lunar New Year,

you should organize

something special,

like a little party. I'm sure

that there are many

Koreans who are alone here.

And the locals

might like it too.

You know, I run an inn,

a small guesthouse in Korea.

- Oh, okay.

I now understand why

you have business

acumen.

So I imagine

that while you are here,

Your husband runs

the guest house.

- You found it.

Yes, that's the one!

- Oh yes ? Is this your car?

- Oh !

Oh ! How did you

know she was here?

- Ah, we towed mine too

when I arrived here, so...

Hey.

How much is it to

take the car out?

- It's $85.

- Yes yes,

- I'll pay cash.

- All right.

- I'll give you this right away.

- Oh! No, no, no!

- No, no, no.

- Stop, stop!

- You don't have to pay for this.

- It's okay, don't worry.

- No, wait!

- I'll take care of it.

- But no !

So. THANKS.

- But... But why

did you do that?

If you...

If you make kimchi, well,

you will give me

some to repay me.

Uh... Come on, let's go home.

You know here, It's cold and...

and it's snowing. Oh yes.

It's snowing so much

that sometimes,

you know, people...

people call this

city Winni-polar.

- It's okay, it's okay, I'll take care of it.

- THANKS.

It's painful

to clear the snow from

the car every morning,

but you get used

to it pretty quickly,

you will see.

That's it.

Oh. And another thing.

When you drive here in winter,

It's important to keep a safe

distance from the car in front of you.

And you shouldn't

brake too hard,

otherwise you risk slipping

and having an accident.

- Oh. I see, thank

you. But, anyway,

I don't drive

often.

Oh...

but it's difficult to get

around here without a car.

Especially when it's

cold like today, and...

- My husband drove

most of the time.

Oh yes, I see

I'm sorry.

You left your car there.

Oh ! No, it doesn't matter.

My son will pick her up later.

Oh, okay.

I apologize, it's a bit messy.

My daughter has just moved here.

Ah, I see.

So you came here

to help her, right?

- Yes.

You know...

I thought about what you said,

just now.

And maybe I should organize a...

a small party to mark

the Lunar New Year.

It might even be

good for my business.

If you don't have

anything planned,

maybe you could

come with your daughter.

I have a son.

He is not yet married.

I think it would be good

that he meets

other young people.

It's true.

You never know

what could happen.

- Hum-hum.

- Oh. Uh...

Um, here's my business card.

- Oh, thank you.

- It's simpler

to use a Canadian name here.

All right, I'll go.

Hmm...

My name is Sam, and you?

- Oh yes. I'm Sara.

Madam Sara.

- You have a very pretty name.

- THANKS.

Oh. Man-hee?

Ajjuma, do you

remember what I told you?

I will take care of

everything, you will see.

Hi.

Your photo is

really very pretty.

My name is Sumi Kim.

I am 26 years old.

I teach piano.

And I have no medical history

in my family.

You're absolutely right.

People don't know what it is

than living at -40 degrees.

Maybe that's why

I can't get Korea

out of my head.

Sugochoshim,

that means even

the fox is homesick.

I am like a wandering soul,

who is drifting.

So, would

you go back to Korea?

And do you want children?

My dream is

to settle there one day

and living in a house

on the edge of a river.

And yes, I would like

to have two children.

But tell me,

do you have a girlfriend?

- In fact, the lid

is tightly closed,

and since it's a glass jar...

...and

the kimchi has fermented,

it could explode.

- Oh !

- There you go.

- It will be even

tastier in a few days.

Hmm.

- If it is not to your

taste, you can tell.

- Wait !

You know, no one...

didn't make me kimchi,

except for my ex-wife.

- Actually, I made it

as a gift to my daughter.

Are you okay?

I never said

my ex-wife before.

It's been so long

since I last spoke

to a real Korean girl.

- You need to talk

to your son, right?

- He's Korean.

- He is...

He's Canadian now.

That's what he says, anyway.

Well...

My daughter doesn't even

answer when I call her.

I think we should stop

talking about our children.

Uh...

- I arrived here almost

a week ago and...

I haven't visited the city yet.

- Do you have time, today?

Did you see this? They always do

huge snow sculptures in winter.

- Oh yes.

And look at this building.

Oh! (Sam):

It's magnificent,

isn't it? And it's high.

It must be around 100 meters.

Do you think

so?

And look, at

the top of the dome...

(Sara): Oh yes. (Sam):

...it's the Golden Boy.

Oh!

Sorry for

my late response.

Here is a photo of me.

Thank you for your photo.

You're very beautiful.

You were really adorable

when you were little.

Such a sweet little girl.

For what ?

What did I do wrong?

Are you still...

the same little girl

than the one that

was in my stomach?

Why didn't you tell me?

Hi, can we meet?

Now?

I'm a little busy.

- Oh!

Sara.

I was just going

to write to you.

For what ?

- Well, Its Lunar New Year.

Do you remember? I had an idea.

Um, I thought we could

eat together and talk about it.

There is a good restaurant

very close to here.

I'm going to change.

Wait for me here.

It is a well-known restaurant.

Apparently they

make their own bread.

And I was even told

that they have the

best beef in town.

Everyone knows it.

They also say it's

a bit expensive.

But

it doesn't matter.

We're going to have

a lovely evening.

Do I taste it?

Hmm ! Oh, what a bouquet!

Please taste.

Wow!

Look at the color of the meat.

It must be very tender.

Madam Sara,

I think maybe you should,

eat a little meat, first.

Is everything okay?

- Are you sure...

...that we are good parents?

Uh...

- Your son, he--

- Madam Sara.

I had a

very nice evening.

Come with your daughter

for Lunar New Year.

I've already spoken

to my son about it.

He will be there too.

Oh !

Oh.

- I'm going to prepare

some good Korean dishes.

- Are you sure you

want to eat here?

There are better

restaurants in Winnipeg.

It's the Lunar

New Year, after all.

Minji, I wanted to thank you

for the help you gave to Sumi

when she moved here.

It touches me a lot.

I didn't have the chance

to thank you before.

And happy new year.

- My sister.

Happy New Year

to you too, my dear.

- Hum-hum.

Happy New Year everyone.

- Good year.

- Oh ! Happy New Year to you.

- I organized this

with some friends

who helped me.

Ajjuma?

Do you know my son?

- How did we meet you,

- both?

- Oh !

It looks so good! I was told

that there was a

special menu, today.

It's true ?

- Oh. Today, we concocted dishes

japchae, bulgogi and yukjeon,

like my grandmother

prepared them.

- Here, it's a gift package.

- Oh !

Oh, thank you, that's very kind.

- That's it for you.

- Oh, thank you very much.

Come

on, come here, let's go.

Okay.

Do you remember how we do it?

Oh !

Yes, very good.

Here's your New Year's money.

It's good, I'm proud of you.

- I don't know if I made

any money from this party,

but I'm glad I did.

Thank you, Sarah.

It's thanks to you.

I still have a lot of kimchi

that you gave me, the other day.

And today,

you brought me even more.

It's not for you.

It's for her.

Good morning.

Dad.

- But the photo you sent...

- And yours?

I found it on the Internet.

Oh !

Sarah, stop.

Oh !

Wait. Let me serve you.

Dad.

This is Jennie.

We wish you a happy new year.

To you too.

Sumi, my darling,

I wish you a happy new year.

Sumi, it's me, mom.

I don't know exactly when

you will hear this message,

but it will be soon.

It's the Lunar New Year,

a time when families

come together.

It is also a moment

where I worried a lot about you.

But now, I know you are fine,

and you found someone amazing.

She is by your

side, and like me,

she cares about you, like

a member of the family.

- It was his mother

who brought it to him.

- I too met someone

extraordinary.

He taught me

something I didn't know.

That goodness exists,

even in a cold country.

Now I finally understand

why you live here.

You have to bow like that.

- Come to think of

it, throughout my life,

I was a girl, a

wife and a mother.

But I never knew

who I really was.

Maybe that's why I

was so hard on you.

NOW,

I think I want to travel.

I want to discover who I am.

But I want you to know this:

I will always be your mother.

And you, Sumi,

you will always be

my beloved daughter.

Oh, I almost forgot Man-hee!

Oh, there you are!

Man-hee!

Oh...

Oh... Everything

will be fine, you'll see.

Sumi, my darling,

when you wake up,

call your mom right away,

All right ?

Waiting for,

I'm going to stop

worrying about you,

and I will enjoy life.

Mom?

Camera A.

This way.

Fine, I'll give it to him.

- I wish you a happy new year.

- Hum