세상의 어둡고 불편한 것에서도 의미를 찾고 싶었던 시사고발 다큐멘터리 PD 석구. 그런 석구를 앞에 등장한 한글과 사랑에 빠진 할머니들. “늙으면 죽어야지.”를 입에 달고 살지만 누구보다 재밌게 사는 할머니들의 일상은 설렘으로 가득하다.
시놉시스
닭보다 먼저 일어나고, “늙으면 죽어야지”를 입에 달고 살지만 매일 하루도 빠지지 않고 학교에 가는 춘심, 영란, 인순, 분한 할머니. 한 평생 글을 읽지 못해 남몰래 설움과 창피함을 숨기며 살았던 할머니들이 가는 학교는 한글을 가르치는 문해학교다.
눈만 마주쳐도 까르르르, 열일곱 가시나가 된 할머니들은 때론 컨닝도 하고, 농띠도 피워가며 ‘가갸거겨’ 배웠더니 어느새 온 세상이 놀 거리, 볼 거리로 천지삐까리!
한편, 시사고발 다큐멘터리 피디 ‘석구’는 라디오에서 할머니들의 사연을 듣고 무언가에 홀린 듯 팔복 문해학교에 찾아온다.
학교를 다니지 못한 할머니들의 소원은 ‘소풍’. 선생님 ‘고은’은 단 한 사람만 50점을 넘겨도 야외 수업을 하기로 약속했지만, 50점 넘기는 하늘의 별 따기. 시무룩한 할머니들을 위해 고은은 ‘시 낭송 대회’에 나갈 것을 제안한다. 시는 아무나 쓰냐고 손 사래를 치던 할머니들은 이제 매일매일 밥처럼, 한 자 한 자 시를 짓게 되는데… "고마 사는 기, 배우는 기 와 이리 재밌노!" 어느새 석구의 카메라에는 한글과 사랑에 빠진 할머니들의 일상에서 가장 빛나는 설렘으로 채워지기 시작한다.
Seokgu, a documentary producer specializing in current events and accusations, wishes to find meaning in the dark and inconvenient things of the world. Old women who fell in love with Hangeul (Korean alphabet) appear in front of him. Over and over again, they say "old people should die," but their joyful lives are more exciting than anyone else's.
Synopsis
Old ladies Chunshim, Yeongran, Insoon, and Boonhan wake up earlier than a rooster. They always say "Old ones should die" but they attend school without missing a single day. The school these grandmothers are attending is a literacy education school. They have been illiterate all their lives, secretly hiding their sorrow and embarrassment of not being able to read and write.
Old women, who suddenly turn into 17-year-old girls, giggle when their eyes meet, sometimes cheat, and goof around at school. After learning 'Ga, Gya, Geo, Gyeo (Hangeul)', the whole world is full of things to see and play with before they even know it!
Meanwhile, Seokgu, a documentary producer specializing in current events and accusations, visits Palbok literacy education school after hearing about these grandmothers. He acts as if he is possessed by something.
One and only wish of grandmothers who could not attend school back then is to go on a field trip. The teacher Goeun promises an outdoor class if one person in the class gets 50 on the test. But this is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. After seeing grandmothers with long faces, Goeun suggests entering a poetry reading contest. Grandmothers refuse, saying poems cannot be written by anyone. But then they start writing poems every day little by little just like cooking rice. 'Why is learning and living so exciting?" Seokgu's camera captures the brightest excitement of these grandmothers, who fell in love with Hangeul.
Creator
Original work
'Horrifically Funny Women' (Publisher: Book House) Original writer: Kim Jaehwan, Agency: Goraebang (Choi Jieun)
'Chilgok Girls' Director: Kim Jaehwan
Composer Kim Haesung
Musical ‘Love of a Million’ (2021, Music director)
Musical ‘My Bucket List’, ‘Mr. Lee Clean Center’ (2019, Composer)
Musical ‘Bachelor’s Vegetable Store’ (2016, Music director)