FESTIVALS: *Berlinale (Berlin, Germany) * Danish Film Institute (Copenhagen K, Denmark) * Docaviv (Tel Aviv, Israel) * Dok.Fest Münich (Germany) * EDN (Copenhagen, Denmark) * Hot Docs (Toronto, Canada) * IDFA (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) * It's All True (Sao Paulo, Brazil) * Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival (Greece) * Tribeca Film Festival (New York, USA) * One World International Film Festival (Czech Republic) * ZagrebDox (Croatia) * DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival (Finland) * Ambulante (Mexico, Mexico) * Lemesos Int'l Documentary Festival (Cyprus) * Moscow International Film Festival (Russia) * New Zealand Film Festival Trust (Wellington , New Zealand) * Doc Lounge Scandinavia (Malmö, Sweden) * EDOC- Encuentros del Otro Cine International Documentary Film Festival (Quito, Ecuador) * Ismailia International festival for Documentary & Short films (Giza, Egypt) * DocumentaMadrid (Spain) * Galway Film Fleadh (Ireland) * Festival on Wheels (Kavaklidere Ankara, Turkey) * Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF) (Iceland) * Message to Man International Film Festival (St Petersburg, Russia) * Zinebi - Bilbao International Festival of Documentary And Short Films (Spain) * Durban International Film Festival (South Africa) * Verzio Film Festival (Budapest, Hungary) * Camerimage - The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Toruń, Poland) * Minsk International Film Festival (Republic of Belarus) * This Human World (Vienna, Austria) * Breaking Down Barriers - International Disability Film Festival (Moscow, Russia) * Glasgow Film Festival (UK) * Human Rights Arts & Film Festival (HRAFF) (Melbourne, Australia) * Antenna International Documentary Film Festival (Sydney, Australia) * One World Romania (Bucharest, Romania) * Vilnius Documentary Film Festival (Lithuania) * Underhillfest (Podgorica, Montenegro) * Pravo Ljudski Human Rights Film Festival (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) * Extra & Ordinary People ! EOP! (Bruxelles , Belgium) * Vera Filmfestival (Mariehamn, Finland) * Brave Festival Film (Wroclaw, Poland) * Korean Film Festival (Sydney NSW, Australia) * Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival (Armenia) * Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival (Germany) * Docs Against Gravity Film Festival (Poland) * Image Factory (Budapest, Hungary) * Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (USA) * Exile Room (Athens, Greece) * Manaki Brothers International Film Festival (Skopje, Macedonia) * Kratkofil Film Festival (Banjaluka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. ) * ChopShots Documentary Film Festival (Jakarta, Indonesia) * Fuzhong 15 - New Taipei City Documentary Cinema (Taipei City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) * Stronger than Fiction Documentary Film Festival (Australia) * Cineporto BOff (Bologna, Italy) * Reframing Reality Film Festival (Jerusalem, Israel) AWARDS: * Best Feature-Length Documentary - IDFA | Planet of Snail
In the beginning there was darkness and silence. The darkness and silence were with God. When I came into existence, they came to me. Young-Chan lost his vision and hearing from a serious fever when very young. He often describes himself as a ‘snail’ since he has to rely only on his tactile senses, just as slowly as a snail, to communicate with others. Being unable to speak other’s language, he once believed he had been singled out from the world. But a woman of an angel walks into his life. Soon-Ho, as short as a little girl who is also disabled, changes his life dramatically. Being married to her, he explores the things he can neither see nor hear. The once lonely snail goes sleighing, swimming and writes essays, poems and even a script for a play, translating every experience into his unique words. Although he does not get discouraged easily, obstacles still linger around him. He cannot go anywhere without Soon-Ho who is his translator and guide. In a meeting with a social worker one day, they realize they cannot be together forever and how vulnerable Young-Chang is without Soon-Ho. Young-Chan begins to learn to walk with a blind stick, precariously for the first time in 40 years, while Soon-Ho stays home, alone for the first time in their marriage. Swimming in the middle of ocean, Young-chan says; I’m closing my eyes for a while to see the most precious thing. I’m closing my ears to hear the most beautiful sound. And I’m waiting in silence to speak out the most truthful words. PRESS IMAGES: (click to preview) 
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