In a remote South Korean village, Mr. and Mrs. Lee lead an austere and earnest existence as rice farmers, favoring old- fashioned tools and meticulous care over fancy machines and pesticides. The couple successfully raises nine children on a farmer’s income; their deeply grooved faces proudly display years of hard work. Mr. Lee’s every step betrays the aches and pains from decades of labor. The only other member of the Lee family who can bear the suffering with equal stoicism is Mr. Lee’s beloved ox, who has been working alongside him for 40 years. Emaciated from old age, the ox continues to carry Mr. Lee and his carriage up and down the hill every day; the path between their home and the rice paddy has become a part of its reflexive memory. Mrs. Lee looks on the twosome with half-pity and half-disdain, unsure whether the decrepit ox is a blessing or a liability. She wishes Mr. Lee would sell the animal before its value hits bottom, so they can focus on training their new ox and save on feed. In a society that values oxen as simply pieces of meat, Mr. Lee stands alone in his deeply loving and caring ways with his partner. Told with a pace as deliberate as the steps of this modest man and his best friend, OLD PARTNER is a beautiful reflection on aging, friendship and a dying agricultural tradition in South Korea.

Filmmaker Q&A

Where did the idea from the movie come from? Why do you think it was important to make this film?
I happened to visit a cattle market for coverage in 1999. At there, I saw an ox shed tears looking at his owner while being pulled by his new owner. At that moment, I was reminded of an ox and my father in my childhood.

Before the start of industrialization, Korean countryside was solely the main stage for oxen and our fathers. They were heroes, idols and the driving force of Korean agricultural development. But since industrialization they have nothing to do any more. Oxen have become only beef, our fathers have retired back and aged with aging towns. The scenery makes me sad. So, I wanted to recollect the devotion and beautiful sympathy of the fathers and oxen in this film, and the scenery might be the last moment in this age. And this film is also my dedication to the oxen and our fathers devoted in this land.

How did you meet this farmer?
I traveled around the nation to find a proper ox and farmer since 2000. In early 2005, someone told me there were a suitable man and ox in a small town in Bong-wha. I was so lucky to encounter them.

What elements of the South Korean culture are portrayed in the movie?
Before the introduction of farm machineries to the countryside, our farms totally depended on oxen. This film portrays the core of Korean agricultural practices. It also contains Korean traditional cultures such as patriarchy, unequal conjugal relationship and the commitment of parents to educate their children at stake of all they had. It also shows the affection toward oxen, considered to be family members and collaborate partners, not just animals.