Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
REVIEW 'Summer’s Camera' captures gentle first love, grief
Actor Kim Si-a in a scene from “Summer’s Camera’ / Courtesy of Sidus
By Baek Byung-yeul
Director Divine Sung makes a memorable feature debut with "Summer’s Camera," a movie that explores the delicate intersection of teenage romance and family grief.
The film approaches complex human relationships through a soft lens, focusing on how memories can cause grief but also help a person grow.
The story centers on a high school freshman named Summer (Kim Si-a), who stops taking photos after her father passes away. She constantly carries her late father’s old film camera around in her bag, but she cannot bring herself to shoot the remaining four pictures left on the roll.
Her frozen world begins to change during a warm summer day at school. Summer encounters Yeon-woo (Yu Ga-eun), a star player on the school football team, and feels an immediate attraction. This sudden spark motivates her to pick up the camera again to capture Yeon-woo’s daily moments.
The movie takes a turn after Summer discovers old photographs of a man named Maru (Kwak Min-gyu) on the roll. Through these pictures, Summer uncovers a deep secret — her father had a male lover during his high school years.
Wondering why her father married her mother while harboring these feelings, Summer decides to search for the truth. She secretly seeks out Maru, who now works as a barber.
Instead of revealing the truth to her mother, who is already grieving the loss of her husband, Summer keeps the secret to herself. She builds quiet friendship with Maru, who becomes her mentor and helps her understand her father’s past.
The strength of "Summer's Camera" lies in its comforting parallel structure. Summer’s feelings for Yeon-woo mirror the past romance between her father and Maru, showing young love across different generations.
While the premise of a married father having a hidden past could feel heavy or controversial, the director treats the delicate subject with a gentle cinematic touch.
Actors Kim Si-a, right, and Kwak Min-gyu in a scene from “Summer’s Camera’ / Courtesy of Sidus
The movie purposefully avoids showing intense social discrimination or painful family conflicts. It chooses instead to focus on a hopeful portrayal of ordinary teenage romance and personal growth.
The performances bring a grounded warmth to the story. Kim, who left a strong impression at age 9 in the 2018 film "Miss Baek" and showed a mysterious charm in the Netflix series "Sweet Home," delivers an excellent performance that captures the innocent feelings of first love.
Her chemistry with Yu brings out the bright energy of youth, while Kwak adds emotional weight to the film as a supportive, mature figure who helps Summer deal with her complex feelings.
"Summer's Camera" has already gained recognition at global film festivals before its domestic release.
The movie won the Nongshim Shinramyun Award at the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival and the Wavemaker Award at the 51st Seattle International Film Festival, as well as being screened at 34 film festivals worldwide.
"Summer’s Camera" will hit local theaters on June 24.