From 1953 to the mid-1990s, dozens of ‘America Towns’ sprang up across South Korea. These camps were established primarily to provide bars and sex workers for US military personnel. Against this seedy backdrop, director Jeon Soo-il tells a touching tale of love and innocence lost. Sang-kook (Kim Dan-yul, excellent) works at his father’s photo studio, where he secretly develops nude pictures for American soldiers. The teenager’s life changes when beautiful bar hostess ...more

From 1953 to the mid-1990s, dozens of ‘America Towns’ sprang up across South Korea. These camps were established primarily to provide bars and sex workers for US military personnel. Against this seedy backdrop, director Jeon Soo-il tells a touching tale of love and innocence lost. Sang-kook (Kim Dan-yul, excellent) works at his father’s photo studio, where he secretly develops nude pictures for American soldiers. The teenager’s life changes when beautiful bar hostess Young-lim (Lim Chae-young) visits his shop for an ID photo. The sensitive depiction of Sang-kook’s impossible love for Young-lim and the grim realities of America Town form a sobering snapshot of South Korea during the dark days of dictatorship.less