If a friend is ‘a single soul dwelling in two bodies’ (Aristotle), siblings are those whose ‘bodies are divided, but their spirits remain connected’ (from the ‘Brothers’ chapter in Yan Zhitui’s Family Instructions for the Yan Clan). No matter how resentful or wearying it becomes, the bond of blood remains stubbornly deep and enduring. Here are two brothers who run separate ranches and have not exchanged a single word in thirty years. The younger brother, Byeong-soo (Park Hae-jun), clinches his first victory at the Prime Cattle Contest, dethroning his older brother, Man-soo (Ryu Seung-ryong), who had won six consecutive years. On that very night, Man-soo discovers that Byeong-soo’s cow is infected with foot-andmouth disease and reports it. Amid the ensuing chaos of mass culling, Man-soo wishes to save Jang-soo, the sole surviving calf, and after many twists and turns, joins hands with Byeong-soo. Cattle Run is a film that strides forward as honestly and steadily as an ox. Man-soo is too gruff to be the first to reach out, while Byeong-soo is too prickly to let go of old grudges. Through the lens of the bond between humans and animals, the film captures the awkward predicament of two brothers who grew apart out of mutual guilt. Its straightforward, unpretentious narrative style calmly depicts the value of things that only grow deeper because they cannot be put into words, inspiring a quiet sense of trust.
Kim Ji-hyun joined MBC in 2007 and solidified her position as a director by writing and directing dramas such as The Diary of a Resentful Woman (2014), Splash Splash Love (2015), and Star of the Universe Three Color Fantasy – The Universe′s Star (2017). She wrote the screenplay for the Netflix original series Romantics Anonymous (2025). Cattle Run is her feature film directorial debut.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
