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Il Mare

Original title: Siworae
  • 2000
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
9.9K
YOUR RATING
Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae in Il Mare (2000)
Il Mare(2000)
Play trailer3:17
1 Video
18 Photos
DramaFantasyRomance

In 1999, a voice actor moves from Il Mare, a seaside house, and leaves a Christmas card in its mailbox. An architecture student receives it in 1997, and a friendship separated by two years b... Read allIn 1999, a voice actor moves from Il Mare, a seaside house, and leaves a Christmas card in its mailbox. An architecture student receives it in 1997, and a friendship separated by two years begins.In 1999, a voice actor moves from Il Mare, a seaside house, and leaves a Christmas card in its mailbox. An architecture student receives it in 1997, and a friendship separated by two years begins.

  • Director
    • Hyun-seung Lee
  • Writers
    • Eun-Jeong Kim
    • Mi-Yeong Kim
    • Won Tae-yeon
  • Stars
    • Lee Jung-jae
    • Jun Ji-hyun
    • Kim Moo Saeng
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    9.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hyun-seung Lee
    • Writers
      • Eun-Jeong Kim
      • Mi-Yeong Kim
      • Won Tae-yeon
    • Stars
      • Lee Jung-jae
      • Jun Ji-hyun
      • Kim Moo Saeng
    • 54User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    Main trailer
    Trailer 3:17
    Main trailer

    Photos17

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    + 12
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    Top cast8

    Edit
    Lee Jung-jae
    Lee Jung-jae
    • Han Sung-hyun
    Jun Ji-hyun
    Jun Ji-hyun
    • Kim Eun-ju
    Kim Moo Saeng
      Jo Seung-yeon
      Jo Seung-yeon
      • Jae-hyeok
      • (as Jo Seung-yun)
      Yun-jae Min
      So-yeong Hong
      • Voice Actor
      Jung-Hee Nam
      • Eun-ju's mother
      • (as Jeong-Hee Nam)
      Choi Yoon-Young
        • Director
          • Hyun-seung Lee
        • Writers
          • Eun-Jeong Kim
          • Mi-Yeong Kim
          • Won Tae-yeon
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

        User reviews54

        7.59.9K
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        Featured reviews

        9wildscreen

        This is a movie for a very romantically lonely person

        This is a movie for a very romantically lonely person,you go the theater alone to see beautiful people suffering from love lost,feeling sympathy for them and have a great relieve at the end of the movie,you must think that those ending could happen in your life too!

        This movie is beautiful, come with a very sweet music,the production is on par with any European movie,the script is very well written and there is an element that become a special present for viewer who love a beautifully design things.If you think it's time to have a better movie to replace " Somewhere In Time" in a reference about very much loved sad movie you may give this movie a 10,if you looking for an alternative to Hollywood movie you might give it a 10 too.
        9elwehttam

        Underrated movie

        After watching My Sassy girl which i truly enjoyed, i decided to watch other movies with the actor Jun Ji Hyun. Hearing that it wasn't that good at the box office in Korea i had little expectation of the movie. But wow was I in for a surprise. The cinematography and the music really establishes the mood of the movie with the isolated house as the main scenery beside the ocean giving a sense of loneliness that the characters endure throughout the movie. The mailbox was the only way of bridging that gap and the movie did a good job of portraying that. But also had a magical property which sends and receives mail at two different years in time. However exploiting it to change the past could have dire consequences. Overall a different but memorable romantic movie experience. Good to watch when your alone and relaxed.
        8Gonkiz

        Beautiful, weird, and compelling...

        This is the most romantic and weird film I've ever seen. Delightful and very romantic, this film inspires. I had an overwhelming urge to go home and design something after seeing it. Not to mention dropping letters into mailboxes. Visually, the movie is incredibly beautiful. The storyline is also quite original for a love story. I don't know what else to say except see it, if you get the opportunity.
        7paul_m_haakonsen

        A love that transcends time...

        I remember watching "Il Mare" (aka "Siworae") back in the day shortly after it was initially released. And I do remember it as being a very beautiful movie. So I sat down yesterday to watch it again for the third time.

        And while "Il Mare" does have a very nice and original story, then it was a tad slow paced, which could be somewhat of a challenge for some audience to get through. However, I think that it is alright with a slow paced storyline here, because director Hyun-seung Lee uses the time quite well to tell a very beautiful and touching story.

        The story told in "Il Mare" is about a lovestory between Kim Eun-ju (played by Ji-hyun Jun) and Han Sung-hyun (played by Jung-jae Lee). They are sending each other letters from a mailbox at an ocean-side house named Il Mare. Kim Eun-ju is living in 1999 and Han Sung-hyun is living in 1997. And even with two years apart, their love grows with each letter.

        It is indeed a very interesting storyline, and one that has originality and sinks right in, because it is really well-told by the director.

        And while the cast list in "Il Mare" is relatively small, then there is a bigger pressure on the leading stars to perform well enough to hold up the movie. And I will say that both Jung-jae Lee and Ji-hyun Jun did more than perform adequately. They really carried the movie quite well, both individually and together on the screen.

        "Il Mare" is a beautiful movie to grace the South Korean cinema, and it is a movie that is well-worth watching, regardless of you having a preference for Asian cinema or not.
        nelirehs

        subtle, melancholic, magical love story

        Subtle, melancholic, magical. The movie is almost comparable to another Asian film jewel, Love Letter (1995) in terms of the subtleness and slow build-up of the plot; where the platonic relationship between the protagonists help make the love story almost ethereal, and yet very grounded and real, at the same time. The love story is polite and decent, with different shades of melancholy, that at times it edges into sappiness. However, this "sappiness" is only like a pinch of salt which adds additional flavor to the already deliciously rich mood of the film. In terms of story-telling, cinematography and acting skills, it is almost flawless, and after the closing credits, it will leave you utterly breathless. The mood will stay with you long after you've seen it -- i think that's the magical domain of the film -- not only in terms of plot, but more so, the effect it brings to the viewers. A truly cinematic experience you shouldn't miss!

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        Related interests

        Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
        Drama
        Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
        Fantasy
        Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
        Romance

        Storyline

        Edit

        Did you know

        Edit
        • Trivia
          On August 31, 2002, Il Mare was swept away by Typhoon Rusa. There is a new breakwater between summer sea line and the former position of Il Mare. Exact coordinates of Il Mare were: (37° 44' 16.00" N, 126° 17' 21.50" E). The coordinates of the house construction site Sung-hyun visits are: (33° 30' 49.50" N, 126° 58' 03.50" E). And the beach which Sung-hyun sits on can be seen at (33°30'7.00" N, 126°56'35.75" E).
        • Connections
          Referenced in Failan (2001)
        • Soundtracks
          Must Say Goodbye
          Performed by Kim Hyun Chul

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        FAQ26

        • How long is Il Mare?Powered by Alexa
        • Is this movie the same With the Lake House?
        • What is 'Siworae/Il Mare' about?
        • Is 'Siworae/Il Mare' based on a book?

        Details

        Edit
        • Release date
          • September 9, 2000 (South Korea)
        • Country of origin
          • South Korea
        • Language
          • Korean
        • Also known as
          • Người Tình Không Chân Dung
        • Filming locations
          • Ha-ri, Samsan-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, South Korea(Il Mare)
        • Production companies
          • Blue Cinema
          • CJ Entertainment
          • Dream Venture Capital
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Box office

        Edit
        • Budget
          • $2,500,000 (estimated)
        • Gross worldwide
          • $225,223
        See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

        Tech specs

        Edit
        • Runtime
          • 1h 45m(105 min)
        • Sound mix
          • Dolby Digital
        • Aspect ratio
          • 1.85 : 1

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