After a family member's suicide, mother Hae-sook and daughter Yoon-seul, each carrying their own grief, have closed their hearts to each other. With the return of Yoon-seul, who had left home to live in the city, the distance widens. They remain disconnected as Hae-sook is immersed in religion, and awkward days continue. Past memories resurface and eventually an unexpected event causes repercussions. Kim Hyun-min, known as a critic and filmmaker, stated the English title On the Heights was taken from a passage in the Bible, although, interestingly, the original Korean title means opposite: "From the Lowest Places".
Kim Hyun-min is a film journalist and critic who made her directorial debut with the short film Tidal (2020), exploring the resonance of memory in the present. The film was screened at the Seoul Independent Film Festival in 2020 and later released in theaters and on OTT platforms. On the Heights is her first feature-length film.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
