Documentary 'Mother's Household Ledger' traces 47 years of family history
The documentary 'Mother's Household Ledger' was released in theaters on the 28th, following a mother's household ledgers written from 1969 to 2016 to reflect on family life and societal changes.
Director Seong Seung-taek released 'Mother's Household Ledger' in theaters on the 28th, using handwritten records from 1969 to 2016 to document family life and societal changes. The film follows the director and his mother, who has early-stage dementia, as they visit locations recorded in the ledgers.
The documentary 'Mother's Household Ledger' was released in theaters on the 28th, following a mother's household ledgers written from 1969 to 2016 to reflect on family life and societal changes. The project began when director Seong Seung-taek discovered dozens of household ledgers in a mother-of-pearl wardrobe drawer while packing to live with his parents.
The film contains various records ranging from 1970s women's magazine supplement ledgers to bank-issued ledgers from the 2000s. The books, filled with entries for rice prices, coal prices, medical expenses, tuition, family event costs, and loan repayments, show not only the management of a single household but also a cross-section of Korean society through the era of industrialization. The records include the prices of seaweed and pork on March 1, 1972—the day the director was born—as well as a "120 won hospital fee" from a day he walked while carrying his sick son.
The work places the clearly preserved numbers of the past alongside the mother's present, as her memory fades due to early-stage dementia. The son visits the old house and cities recorded in the ledgers with his mother, facing the lives that were hidden behind the numbers. As the records reveal the labor and care of a generation beyond individual memory, the film is read as an example that directly demonstrates the power of documentary filmmaking.
“The moment I opened the household ledger, I saw my mother's 'beginning' for the first time,” director Seong Seung-taek stated. “Through the film, which is another form of record, I wanted to hold onto disappearing memories and meet a person beyond the role of 'mother' again.” 'Mother's Household Ledger' was invited to the Wide Angle Documentary Showcase at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in 2024, and has also participated in the Jeonju Lab at the Jeonju International Film Festival, screened at the EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF), and was invited to the Seoul International Senior Film Festival.
To celebrate the release, a Guest Visit (GV) is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at Gyeonggi Indie Cinema (Lotte Cinema Gwanggyo) and for Sunday, November 8, at the Indieplus Theater at the Busan Cinema Center. Poster giveaway events for viewers will also be held at the Busan Cinema Center and Cinecube Gwanghwamun. As the film is rated for all ages, it is introduced as a work that parents and children can watch together.
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