Canola

I. Introduction

Canola is a 2016 South Korean film starring Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Go-eun and Choi Min-ho. Canola is a thoughtful, touching, and at times surprising film about two people trying to reconnect and restart their lives together. Filming began April 21, 2015 on Jeju Island and finished July 9, 2015 at a set in Paju, South Korea. The copyrights have been sold for an upcoming Chinese remake of the film.

II. Synopsis

Gye-choon is a native of Jeju Island who has long made her living by diving for shellfish. (Such women, called hae-nyeo in Korean, are a celebrated part of Jeju’s traditional culture.) For a long time her life revolved around two things only: her work in the sea, and the raising of her adorable young granddaughter Hye-ji. But on one tragic day, Hye-ji disappears. Gye-choon looks for her desperately, but there is no trace. She contacts the police, and posts wanted posters around her island community, but all of this is to no avail. As time passes, her desperation only grows, but there is nothing she can do.

Twelve years later, on a day like any other, Hye-jin reappears. Gye-choon is stunned, but overjoyed, to see the fully grown young woman she raised as a child. She brings her home, and begins to take care of her again. After the initial shock wears off, people begin to ask Hye-jin the obvious questions – Where have you been? What happened? – but she is reluctant to talk about it.

III. Cast

Pic	Name	Character
	Youn Yuh-jung	Gye-choon
	Kim Go-eun	Hye-ji
	Choi Minho	Han-yi

IV. Trailer

V. Reception

Darcy Paquet of Far East Film has stated as followed - Canola may not have been the film most people were expecting from the director who calls himself Chang. His previous work – the teen horror movie Death Bell (2008) and the Point Blank remake The Target (2014) – were not generally praised for their restraint or emotional complexity. But with Canola he rose to the task and delivered a film that, even if it didn’t break out at the box office, earned the respect of audiences and critics alike.
The film has currently held 8.3 on Mydramalist, & 7.2 on IMDB.

VI. Awards & Nominations