Il Mare (2000)

Il Mare is a (South) Korean film about two people who came from different time—Eun-joo, a voice artist from year 2000 and Sung-hyun, an architectural student who’s from 1998.

Eun-joo is about to leave Il Mare (which means “The Sea” in Italian), a seaside house, and left a Christmas card for the next owner asking to forward any mail for her in her new address. Sung-hyun receives the letter and is confused because he knows he’s the first to live in Il Mare, and the date is set two years in the future. The two forwarded mails and later realized that it was the mailbox that makes these things work. Sung-hyun became  Eun-joo’s calling person (metaphorically) then. She talks with him about his feelings about his boyfriend which she dearly loves despite the latter choosing another girl after their separation (her boyfriend went to America for work). Sung-hyun on the other hand, while knowing Eun-joo more and more, realized his feelings for her.

What will happen to their story? Will things work out despite the fact that they live two years apart?

Want to know what will happen in their love story? Read more…



Sung-hyun was able to see Eun-joo in his time, when she doesn’t know him yet. Though she sees him as a stranger, Sung-hyun accepts this and developed his feelings more.

Eun-joo and Sung-hyun continued exchanging mails and decided to meet. On the date they set, Eun-joo saw a house being built in their meeting place. She was told that it was designed by architecture for her true love. Continuing the story, Sung-hyun did not turn up. Sung-hyun mailed Eun-joo telling her it would be impossible for him to forget that kind of promise.

Thereon, Eun-joo met her ex-boyfriend and realized she still loves him. She sent a mail to Sung-hyun asking him to intervene on his ex leaving for abroad. Sung-hyun accepted it and sent a letter to Eun-joo telling her it would be his last letter for her.

Later, Eun-joo remembered an accident which happened the day her ex and she separated. She went to Sung-hyun’s school and she was told that Sung-hyun died on during that day. He was hit by a car while crossing the road to the restaurant where she had her last date with his ex. Eun-joo rushed to Il Mare and sent a letter to Sung-hyun, telling him not to go there.

In the end, the story brings back the first scene where Eun-joo was about to put the Christmas card in the mailbox. It’s revealed Sung-hyun got her letter and did not intervene on their last date. There, Eun-joo was approached by Sung-hyun and told her about a story, their story.

IMDb