THE WORLD BEFORE
by Yoon Dan-bi
South Korea, 2026, 115’
In a secluded place, a fleeting connection forces a young woman to finally look at her own life, right before it changes for good
Jin has never left the island where she was born, with no road to the mainland, where the sea sets the rhythm of everyday life and everyone is bound to one another. When Dujae, her childhood friend, returns for his grandmother's funeral and stays on in her empty house, Jin finds small excuses to visit, and little by little, seeing him becomes part of her daily routine. As the summer unfolds, the island she thought she knew starts to feel unfamiliar, its known faces and places quietly shifting into something new. For the first time, Jin sees the island, and herself, differently. But summer, like everything else on the island, will not stay.
Festivals
World Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival Platform 2026 (Competition)
European Premiere: San Sebastian - New Directors Section 2026 (Competition)
Cast & Crew
Sim Su-bin, Kim Eo-jin
Production companys: CHEONGGWA, Humanité Co., Ltd
Producer: Yoon Dan-bi
Yoon Dan-bi
Yoon Dan-bi is a South Korean filmmaker. Her debut feature, Moving On (2019), premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, where it received four awards including the NETPAC Award. It went on to win the Bright Future Award at the 2020 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Her second feature, The World Before (2026), premiered in the Platform Competition at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her films quietly trace the subtle transformations that unfold within everyday relationships.
Filmography
2026 The World Before – Feature
2022 Another Record: Lee Je-hoon – Documentary
2019 Moving On – Feature