The Poet and the Boy follows an aimless, seemingly straight poet in his late 30s who has spent all his life on the same island, mostly living off the hard work and careful planning of his more responsible wife.
Spending most of his time daydreaming, he longs to express himself creatively, but his poetry lacks passion and depth – something that the other members of his writers group are quick to point out.
One day, the poet meets a teenage boy working at a donut shop and develops romantic feelings he has never had before. Suddenly, his life and work begins to improve. He’s finally found his muse while falling helplessly in love with another man for the first time. But when he discovers that his wife is pregnant, he is faced with a very difficult decision.
The feature-length debut of South Korean filmmaker Kim Yang-hee, The Poet and the Boy tackles marriage, creativity and longing in a refreshingly honest manner.
Watch the trailer for The Poet and the Boy below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.