C’est Si Bon
(쎄시봉 Sae-si-bong)
Directed by KIM Hyun-suk
Starring: KIM Yun-seok, JUNG Woo, HAN Hyo-joo, KIM Hee-ae
2015 | South Korea | 119 min | DCP | In Korean with English subtitles
It is 1960s Seoul. OH Geun-tae (JUNG Woo), a country boy with a booming baritone voice, is discovered by aspiring singer-songwriter Lee Jang-hui and thrust into the bustling world of Seoul’s iconic folk music café C’est Si Bon. He unwittingly becomes the third member of the yet-to-debut “C’est Si Bon Trio” and the begrudging buffer between two rivals in the band—the vocal genius Song Chang-sik and the heartthrob Yun Hyeong-ju. One day, aspiring actress Min Ja-young (HAN Hyo-joo) enters the picture and the young men are completely bewitched. Will their muse inspire them to create legendary music or wreck the band before they even begin?
“This reassessment of the golden years of South Korea’s Western-style folk music scene follows a trio of musicians through the turbulent era… Realistically showcasing the interior of C’est Si Bon, with its devoted coterie of youthful, enthusiastic music fans and rotating roster of idolized performers” – Hollywood Reporter