Acclaimed South Korean director Lee Chang-dong’s first short film, Heartbeat, arrives globally on Netflix today, 2 November.

The film follows Cheol, played by Kim Geon-u, who becomes increasingly frightened when his mother does not answer her phone. Knowing that she lives with depression, he races home while imagining what may have happened.

A story centred on depression

Heartbeat was produced at the suggestion of the World Health Organization and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation. Netflix says the camera remains focused on Cheol’s face during his frantic journey, turning the child’s fear and sense of responsibility into the centre of the story.

Jeon Do-yeon plays Cheol’s mother, while Sul Kyung-gu provides the voice of his father. The film premiered at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival before this global streaming release.

Connected to Possible Love

The short shares themes of labour and depression with Lee’s feature Possible Love, which begins streaming worldwide on 6 November. Netflix is positioning Heartbeat as a four-day prelude to that film.

The service has also made several of Lee’s earlier films available internationally, including Green Fish, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine, Poetry and Burning. Availability can still vary by account and territory.

Subtitles and sensitive subject matter

Netflix says subtitles include English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, French and German. Viewers should be aware that the story directly addresses depression and a child’s fear that a parent may be in danger.

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Image: Kim Geon-u in an official Heartbeat still supplied by Netflix/Pinehouse Film Co., Ltd.