War changes the way we view people from the other side, especially since seeing them might mean their death. War drama Welcome to Dongmakgol understands this, but rather than delve into the painful separation in ways that have been depicted before, the film instead plucks a few soldiers from both fronts and drops them into an isolated village far from the battleground. This scenario is quite unlikely, after all, the town without technology would probably not be as idyllic as portrayed. But it’s an interesting anti-war thought experiment to see the simple, straightforward peace that was forgotten with foreign intervention and global geo-politics. Welcome to Dongmakgol can be quite goofy at times– see the green screen wild boar scene– but the comedy is a standout reminder of the ridiculousness of war.

It’s such an earnest film. Even in its goofiest moments, the earnestness Park Kwang-hyun has for the goodness of human nature feels palpable.