26-year-old Yong-jun (Hong Kyung) is troubled by his lack of dreams when he falls for the same-age Yeo-reum (Roh Yoon-seo) at first sight. Yeo-reum takes care of her little sister Ga-eul (Kim Min-ju), a swimmer with hearing impairments, regarding her sister’s Olympic aspirations as her own dream. While youthful feelings seem to blossom between Yong-jun and Yeo-reum, she finds herself unfamiliar with these emotions and feels guilt toward her sister. In Hear Me: Our Summer, the youth are wholeheartedly attentive to each other’s voices. Rather than relying on spoken language, they use sign language, gestures, body language, and written text. The film persuasively shows that falling in love involves understanding and sharing the other’s language, discovering a unique form of intimacy, and ultimately, rediscovering themselves. It captures the intersection of romantic youth and coming-of-age drama with a refreshing vitality, brought to life by the energetic performances of Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Min-ju. The eponymous Taiwanese film has gained great popularity in Korea.
