Planet of Snail

Planet of Snail is a heartwarming, insightful, and inspiring documentary feature that was released in 2011, centering on the unique, everyday life of a special couple. The film primarily stars Cho Young-Chan, who is deaf and blind, and his wife, Kim Soon-ho, who is a little person. The camera follows the lives of these two special individuals delicately capturing a human narrative interlaced with resilience, understanding, and undying affection. Directed by Yi Seung-jun, and produced by Kim Min-chul, it offers a deeply empathetic look at how they navigate through life’s challenges, illuminating the power of connection and the resilience of the human spirit in its raw form.

Set mainly within an apartment in Seoul, South Korea, the documentary traces the couple's engaging and contemplative journey, revolving around the belief that every life is valuable and worth celebrating, no matter the circumstances. Cho Young-Chan faces a silent and dark world, but rather than seeing himself as limited, he embraces life and discovers the world in a sensory capacity that most of us wouldn't even imagine or comprehend.

In stark contrast to what we perceive as normal life in a fast-paced world, Planet of Snail pays homage to the beauty of the slow, the quiet, and the inconspicuous. Like the unhurried pace of a snail, Young-Chan's life unfolds slowly, revealing beauty in the so-called mundane activities of life such as changing a light bulb or writing a novel. The film undeniably unfolds an extraordinary existence among the regular, making it an unassumingly transformative viewing experience.

The film provides an intimate look into the couple’s world, highlighting the deep emotional connection between them and their strategic ways to tackle the challenges posed by life. Young-Chan communicates with Soon-Ho by touching alphabet characters onto his hand, a key characteristic of their life together. Through physical touch, they communicate their hopes, dreams, frustrations, and love to each other, creating an incredibly profound bond and mutual understanding. Against this intimate backdrop, the filming and cinematography capture their dedication to each other and how they find unique solutions to an ever evolving set of problems.

Moreover, Kim Soon-ho, although, is physically petite and faces hardships due to her own disability, she becomes a pillar of strength for Young-Chan. A constant presence in his life, she guides him through their world, a world that they have designed to complement their physical needs. Their life is full of adjustments, mutual respect, love, and understanding, manifesting the message that true love knows no boundaries.

While initially the audience may feel pity for Young-Chan and Soon-Ho, the Planet of Snail quickly propels us into admiration as it becomes evident that their reality is not one of dependency, but rather one of mutual respect, love, empathy, and invaluable companionship. The documentary exposes the spectators to a new perspective about what it truly means to see, listen, and comprehend the world.

The film presents the boundless beauty and symphony of life beyond what is visibly perceivable, breaking stereotypical notions of disability and quieting down the outer noise and constant movement, allowing viewers to have a transformative viewing experience, inspiring one to live a life of greater awareness, empathy, and compassion.

In Planet of Snail, the narration is quiet, unhurried, yet incredibly profound and captivating, underscoring the beauty of human connection – especially when it transcends the usual methods of sensory communication. Also featuring Choi Jungah, who plays Officer Choi, her appearances bring in an additional external viewpoint and communication link into Young-Chan and Soon-Ho’s world, further diversifying the narrative.

In closing, the Planet of Snail is an incredibly unique documentary that challenges the conventional narratives of love, resilience, triumph, and disability. Through the lens of this exquisitely filmed documentary, one gets to contemplate life, love, and the human spirit in its real and raw form. At its core, the Planet of Snail constructs an intertwined life-story of two individuals whose journey is an incredible testament to the power and resilience of the human spirit, catapulting the audience onto a voyage of emotional discovery, creating a sense of introspection and metacognition about our own perception of life and its myriad dimensions.