Absence is based on the short film of the same title directed by director WU Lang, a former architect. The film follows Han Jiangyu, who returns to his home turf of Hainan Island in southern China after ten years in prison. It adds social drama to the underlying melodramatic sentiment. The story of Han Jiangyu reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, Su Hong, and becoming a family with her child, Yao, is on one axis; the other axis tells a story about the property boom. Han Jiangyu and Su Hong's reunion and sharing of their feelings is described romantically, though sadly. On the other hand, the town Hainan could be seen as another protagonist in the film. The spatial differences between the downtown, where high-tech buildings line the street, and new apartments are being built everywhere, contrasting with the outdated suburb where Su Hong lives, implies the film's theme. The most significant factor in this film is actor Lee Kang-seng, who plays Han Jiangyu. His impression of revealing the traces of a hard life shows the protagonist's presence, who keeps going on with his new life regardless of many scars. (MOON Seok)