Grain in Ear is the second film of a Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu who once was a famous novelist. The film is about a Korean-Chinese woman, Soon-hee Choi, who is living with her son after separating with her husband, who is in jail for murder. She falls in love with Mr. Kim, however, shortly after, he dumps her and she even loses her son through an accident. As a result, she spontaneously commits a terrible crime. Grain in Ear observes the tragic situation through a Korean-Chinese woman who makes her living by selling Kimchi. The film deals with the isolation of the minority, which in turn becomes anger towards the majority and the anger of the minority resulting in the destruction of the majority. Although theme of Grain in Ear seems to be revenge, it thirsts for the recovery of “the world without faith.” The director says, “Modern society, where the assaulter and the victim mix together, distorts the human nature and lets out a rampant terror towards anyone. (SPOILER WARNING) Suddenly, even I could be the one putting rat poison in someone’s food like Soon-hee.”

The world where the faith is treated like filth and the hearts are ruthless. The director must have been heartbroken observing brethrens cheating and deceiving each other. The director rather remains serene than embracing it tenderheartedly, although he had confessed he was feeling bitter at the end of the film where Soon-hee departs. Soon-hee, who lives silently, bearing all her sadness. The one who hurts her the most is her brethren Kim.

Zhang, who has come to PPP with Dooman River, a film of the pure-hearted children living near Dooman River, says, “I do not like this world where people are deceiving and betraying each other like it’s nothing, like it’s ordinary as drinking soup at lunch. The reason why I look at these children may be that I wanted to find the energy to live on.” Would he be able to find hope in this tragic world? We will be able to find the answer in Dooman River.