A Shoeshine Boy

Following the death of his parents Yeongcheol shines shoes in the streets struggling to care for his sick younger sister Yeonghui and make ends meet Despite the persuasive efforts of lowlife criminal boss Wangcho pickpocket Jjanggu and prostitute Mihwa Yeongcheol vows to lead an honest life by looking after Yeonghui with cigarette salesgirl Myeongsun and helping newly arrived shoeshine boy Dongseok settle in However a tragic accident forces Yeongcheol to make an important decision that may change his life Sharing the same Korean title with Vittorio De Sicas classic Shoeshine 1946 this film was noted at the time of release for its strong neorealistic approach All of the picture elements have been lost and only 4 original sound negative reels around 40 minutes survive today The plot summary and scene descriptions have been added in the form of title cards as well as a selection of production stills to aid the viewing experience