Mother Land

It seems apposite that indigenous stories should be making their way into film more frequently at this juncture in our history. The ethic that one should take from nature only as much as one needs now resonates with an increasingly large global audience. The appeal of holding on to traditional ways of life, however, can look quite different depending on one’s sex. This film’s heroine, Krisha (voiced by Lee Yun-ji), baulks at the idea of growing up and taking on the role expected of her. Is it a choice between that and giving up life on the tundra? Perhaps not. There is another path available, and it’s one which her strange dreams suggest may already be set out for her.

Krisha and her younger brother Kolya (Kim Seo-young) like to help their parents, but they are still very young. One day, when they’re struggling to erect a tent in strong winds, Krisha is distracted at a critical moment, with the result that her mother Shura (Kim Ye-eun) is struck on the head by a heavy pole. It seems unlikely that the illness which she subsequently develops is caused by the injury, but of course it feels that way to a child. When her father, Tokcha, goes away to the city to buy medicine, Krisha decides to take the advice of a visiting shaman instead. With the aid of the family’s loyal reindeer, Serodeto – and with Kolya stowing away – she heads north in pursuit of the legendary Ancient Forest and the Master of the forest, a gigantic red bear.

As a child of the Yates tribe, Krisha knows full well that being out alone in the tundra is fraught with dangers. She and Kolya will have to face perilous swamps and hungry wolves, amongst others, in the course of their quest. That quest is further complicated by the fact that hostile government official Vladimir (Lee Gwan-mok) is also on the trail of the bear, which he wants to kill in order to break the spirit of the tundra dwellers. Though devoted to her family, Krisha learns that there are other matters which must take precedence even over that if the life of the tundra is to survive. In taking on this responsibility and developing a new relationship with nature, she moves towards becoming a shaman herself.

The complex relationship between power, status, duty and personal desire lends gravity to what might otherwise be interpreted as a fairly simple fairy tale. It’s imbued with tundra lore which enriches what we see. Bears are regarded by many northern cultures as masters of medicine because they use herbs, roots and berries to treat their own ailments, and many of the same plants work in humans. Learning how and when to trust such a powerful animal is, however, something which each individual with that calling must work out for themselves. Krisha is guided by her dreams, but the subtle ways in which these overlap with waking reality are crucial to understanding the worldview which makes it possible for her to progress in such a harsh environment. Furthermore, the resistance to a conventional life which she turns into a strength helps her learn how to resist the force of outsiders who threaten her people.

All of this is lovingly rendered with stop motion animation which took three years to complete. It’s the first such work in South Korean cinema for 45 years and very much a passion project for director Park Jaebeom. The simple models standing in for humans and reindeer are full of personality. Soft Styrofoam snow tumbles across the fabric of the snow. Ribbons ripple through the sky, conjuring up the beauty of the aurora borealis. Everything about this world is tactile and alluring – even, in their way, the lean-faced wolves. Only the vehicle and weapons brought in from outside look out of place, and indeed, the power which they might have elsewhere is not the same here, where a different set of rules applies.

A beguiling tale which is short enough for older children to sit through and will charm many adults as well, Mother Land is one of the hidden gems of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival, and it’s well worth searching for.