Juvenile Offender Explained

Juvenile Offender
Director:Kang Yi-Kwan
Producer:Hyun Byung-Chul
Music:Kang Min-Guk
Cinematography:Byun Bong-Sun
Editing:Park Yoo-Kyung
Distributor:Finecut
Runtime:107 minutes
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Native Name:
Child:yes
Hangul:범죄소년
Rr:Beomjoe Sonyeon
Mr:Pŏmjoe Sonyŏn

Juvenile Offender (; lit. "Crime Boys") is a 2012 South Korean film about a teenage criminal who reunites with his mother, who gave him up at birth.[1] [2]

It won the Special Jury Prize at the 25th Tokyo International Film Festival, and Best Actor for Seo Young-Joo.[3] [4] [5] [6] It was also awarded the Lino Brocka Grand Prize and Best Actor at the 14th Cinemanila International Film Festival[7] [8] [9] as well as Best Children's Feature Film at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[10]

The film was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards,[11] but it was not nominated.

Plot

Jang Ji-Goo is a 16-year-old juvenile offender under probation who lives with his only known relative - his grandfather who is sick in bed all the time with severe diabetic complications. To Ji-Goo, home is only a place that stinks with sickness and school, a place to hang out. His only interest in life is his sweet new girlfriend, Kim Sae-Rom. One day, he gets caught after committing burglary with the neighborhood big boys. And without a parent to plead for him, the judge sentences Ji-Goo to the juvenile reformatory while others get lighter penalties.

Eleven months later, Ji-Goo is informed that his grandfather has died. After the funeral, his teacher tracks down Ji-Goo's mom, who he thought was dead but in fact had run away from home after giving birth to him at age 17. Ji-Goo is simply shocked to realize that he has a mother. But after he gets discharged from the juvenile reformatory, he and his young mother try to make up for their time lost. Ji-Goo starts off living together with his mother with high expectations, but he soon realizes that his mother is much too young just like himself and he comes to understand why she had to leave him right after giving birth. But when Ji-Goo falls into a similar situation with his girlfriend, his mother, who he thought would understand is appalled at the news which creates a conflict between the two.[12]

Cast

Release

The film was selected in 'Contemporary World Cinema' at 2012 Toronto International Film Festival held in September 2012.[13]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
2012 25th Tokyo International Film FestivalBest ActorSeo Young-joo
14th Cinemanila International Film Festival
201356th Asia-Pacific Film Festival
Best ActressLee Jung-hyun
49th Baeksang Arts Awards
Best New ActorSeo Young-joo
Best New DirectorKang Yi-kwan
7th Asia Pacific Screen AwardsBest Children's Feature FilmJuvenile Offender

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ji. Yong-jin. Kang Yi-Kwan, director of Juvenile Offender: Social Problems Still Exist. Korean Cinema Today. 2012-12-07. 30 November 2012.
  2. Web site: Paquet. Darcy. In Focus: Juvenile Offender. 2012-11-26. Korean Film Council. 2 November 2012.
  3. Web site: 'Juvenile Offender' to Compete at Tokyo Int'l Film Festival. 2012-11-26. The Chosun Ilbo. 25 September 2012.
  4. Web site: Kim. Hyun-min. Juvenile Offender Wins 2 Awards in Tokyo. 2012-11-26. Korean Film Council. 29 October 2012.
  5. Web site: Lee. Tae-ho. "Juvenile Offender" Grabs 2 Awards at Tokyo Independent Film Festival. 2012-11-26. 10Asia. 29 October 2012.
  6. Web site: Lee. Claire. 'Juvenile Offender' invited to international film fests. 2012-11-26. The Korea Herald. 26 November 2012. 2012-11-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20121126170204/http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20121126000646. dead.
  7. Web site: Cinemanila announces this year's winners. Cinemanila.org. 2012-12-12. 8 December 2012.
  8. Web site: Cremin. Stephen. Offender pleases Cinemanila. Film Business Asia. 2012-12-12. 9 December 2012.
  9. Web site: Conran. Pierce. Cinemanila Takes a Shine to Juvenile Offender. Korean Film Council. 2012-12-15. 13 December 2012.
  10. Web site: Asia Pacific Screen Awards announced in Australia. Australia Network News. 13 December 2013.
  11. Web site: Frater. Patrick. Korea picks Juvenile Offender as Oscars hopeful. Variety. 2013-09-08. 1 September 2013.
  12. Web site: Paquet. Darcy. Juvenile Offender. Koreanfilm.org. 2012-11-18.
  13. Web site: TIFF List 2012: A Complete List of All Films at the Toronto International Film Festival. 5 September 2012 . July 6, 2022.