The Hill of Secrets

Sensitive 12-year-old Myung-eun (Moon Seung-a) is embarrassed of her working-class family and constantly lies to keep her true family situation a secret. When she writes, though, she is not constrained by reality. Pouring herself into essays, Myung-eun takes pride in constructing a different world of her own. However, the candid writings of a new student shake her sense of self, and prompt Myung-eun to better understand her family. Reminiscent of acclaimed coming-of-age Korean indies like The World of Us and House of Hummingbird, writer-director Lee Ji-eun’s understated debut feature excels in its perceptive depiction of the emotions and experiences of a child trying to find her place in the world.