The Element of Hope

Ji-hyeon works as a temp at a university, writing and making films. One day he finds he has confusing feelings towards Geon-woo, a younger schoolmate. The two men fall in love with each other, bringing controversy among colleagues.

Jihoon, the main character, guards the art museum alone. There is nothing for him to do other than sitting at the desk, answering phones, or organizing the museum. The museum is an empty space with only an Egyptian wooden coffin lying around. Only one or two people visit the museum a day. People who come are diverse, including women in their late 30s, Japanese, and middle-aged men. At night, visitors call the museum and make excuses for their deaths. Just three days after starting to guard the museum, Jihoon becomes distraught and crazy due to the strange energy of the wooden coffin and the museum and the incoming phone calls, so he quits working at the museum.

A man who studies Mongolian history enjoys happy life with his wife. But one day after the president declares martial law, he loses his wife in a sudden accident. Struck by the immense shock, he loses his ability to speak. Now, the man must find his voice again in order to speak with the spirit of his departed wife.

Sun Ki, the worker in a waste disposal center in a small port town, keeps reminding the memory that he wants to forget.

Jeongwoon and Donggu rely on each other like real brothers. Honggyo, an uninvited guest, comes to their daily lives.

Seungbum is a ‘faux’ environmental journalist who makes a living by threatening construction and waste disposal companies. Travelling to his hometown on business, he recalls a long-forgotten memory.