People and Meat

Three poor pensioners dine and dash in an irresistible South Korean heartwarmer

The elderly men U-sik and Hyeon-jung meet on the backstreets of Seoul while collecting cardboard for recycling to earn a few coins. They soon befriend Hwa-jin, a vegetable vendor at the market. U-sik comes up with the idea of eating at restaurants and skipping out on the bill — after all, everyone longs for good meat, and no one has any money. The trio embark on a culinary crime spree that breathes new life into their days. With humor, warmth, and an undercurrent of seriousness, Yang Jong-hyun’s debut feature casts a loving gaze on the overlooked elderly in contemporary South Korea.

• Niclas Goldberg