a photographer in the small city of gunsan in south korea learns that he have a terminal illness but downplay the seriousness of it to his family and friend . we never find out the nature of the disease but the main focus of hur jin ho poignant first film christmas in august be not his illness . it be the grace in which he conduct his life his ability to accept what life have in store without remorse . sadly and it be the final film shot by cinematographer yoo young kil before his death and and the film be dedicate to his memory . the photographer and jung won and be play by han suk kyu and at one time and korea most popular star . a handsome man in his early thirty with an infectious laugh and he be so warm and full of vitality that it be difficult to picture him a near the end of life . jung win own a small photography shop and live at home with his hard of hear father ( goo shin ) and sister ( oh ji hye ) and teach his dad how to play movie on the vcr and and write instruction for him to take over his shop if he be to die . a jung win go about the day to day business of get his affair in order and dar im ( shim eun ha ) and a meter reader and come into his store with an urgent request for some photographic enlargement . abrupt and impatient and he treat her with disdain but later apologizes and she become a regular customer . without overt expression of romantic feeling and their relationship develop a grow intimacy . love be not something they say or do . it be their ground of be and the place where they come from . to protect dar im from suffer and jung won do not tell her that he have only a short time to live but this do not make the situation any easy for her . inevitably his increase absence from the shop cause her to feel betrayed and frustrate to the point where she throw a rock through the shop window . although jung win decision to withhold his illness from dar im be open to question and it feel organic to his character in the film and be not use simply a a plot device or an excuse for the character to live life to the full by play around . one of the most touching sequence in the film be when an elderly woman return to his studio to take a memorial photo of herself . jung win make sure the picture be an exact likeness and knowing that soon he will be take his own picture of remembrance . christmas in august be an unpretentious film that never resort to melodrama to make it point . it be about take pleasure in ordinary moment represent rid a bike and share a joke and eat ice cream and be thoughtful and considerate and and feel good about what life have to offer . it be a love story where love mean have to say youre sorry . although there have be many film on the die process and christmas in august propels the genre in a new direction and and in the process and offer an unforgettable commentary on the human condition . incongruously and this film about death be an experience of the utmost joy .