# Life Is Beautiful (2022 film)

Life Is Beautiful (Korean: 인생은 아름다워; RR: Insaeng-eun Aleumdawo) is a 2022 South Korean musical film directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Yum Jung-ah, Ryu Seung-ryong, Park Se-wan and Ong Seong-wu. The film is about a woman, Oh Se-yeon, who makes an absurd request to find her first love as a birthday present, and her husband, Jin-bong, who reluctantly goes on a trip with her across the country. The film had its premiere at 36th Fribourg International Film Festival on March 19, 2022, and was released in theaters on September 28 2022 in South Korea.

## Plot

Se-yeon, who has dedicated herself to her blunt husband Jin-bong and their indifferent children, realizes that she does not have much time left. Saddened by a life filled with uncertainty and unfulfilled dreams, she makes an unusual request for her final birthday to find her first love, who suddenly came to mind, as her last birthday present.
Reluctantly, Jin-bong agrees to embark on this quest, driven by his wife’s insistence. With nothing but three names and no real leads, the couple sets off on a journey across the country. As they bicker and banter along the way, they also rediscover the precious moments of their shared past.

## Cast

* Ryu Seung-ryong as Kang Jin-bong
* Yum Jung-ah as Oh Se-yeon
** Park Se-wan as young Oh Se-yeon
* Ong Seong-wu as Jeong-woo
* Yang Hee-kyung as Dong-tan
* Park Yeong-gyu as Jin-bong's father
* Shim Dal-gi as Hyeon-jeong
** Yeom Hye-ran as adult Hyeon-jeong
* Ha Hyun-sang as Seo Jin
* Kim Hye-ok as Jin-bong's mother
* Ko Chang-seok as Office manager
* Jeon Moo-song as Grandfather Choi
* Shin Shin-ae as Aunt Dong-tan
* Kim Jong-soo as Teacher
* Kim Sun-young as Park Jeong-ah
* Ryu Hyun-kyung as Ye-jin's teacher
* Kim Da-in as Ye-jin
* Lee Won-hee as dancer
* Yuk Sim-hwan as dancer
* Kang Seung-wan

## Production
### Theme

The film is a road film in which two people wife and husband wander across the country in search of wife's first love, It has music that fits their stories from childhood to the present. It is the first jukebox musical in South Korea, containing familiar popular songs from the 1970s to 2000s.

### Filming

The filming began on October 14, 2019 and it was wrapped up on February 6, 2020.

## Release

Life Is Beautiful had its premiere at 36th Fribourg International Film Festival on March 19, 2022.
The film was scheduled to be released in theaters in December 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. It was released on September 28, 2022.

## Accolades

| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – Film | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best New Actor – Film | Ong Seong-wu | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2022 | Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2022 | Best New Actor | Ong Seong-wu | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2022 | Best Art Direction | Son Min-jung, Kim Young-bok | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2022 | Best Music | Kim Joon-seok | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2023 | Best Music | Kim Joon-seok | Nominated |
| Director's Cut Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best Actor | Ryu Seung-ryong | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best Actress | Yum Jung-ah | Won |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best New Actor | Ong Seong-wu | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best Costume Design | Choi Se-yeon | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best Music | Kim Joon-seok | Won |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | New Wave Award | Ong Seong-wu | Won |
| Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2022 | Excellence Award, Actress Film | Shim Dal-gi | Won |
| Vevey International Funny Film Festival | 2022 | Audience Award | Life Is Beautiful | Won |