Twelve-year-old Myeong-eun has many secrets that she does not want to reveal. She doesn’t like the secular atmosphere of her family or its principle of “Don’t give nor take any,” and she is ashamed of her parents and their salted seafood shop in the market. By falsely introducing her stubborn mother as a housewife and her lazy father as an office worker, she indulges the desire to be seen as ordinary and possibly even as special. After being elected class president, she starts to realize small wishes held in her heart, and with the encouragement of her teacher, she participates in a writing contest. As she chooses words and sentences by asking herself questions, a tiny “hill of secrets” begins to build in Myeong-eun’s world. Then when Hye-jin, an honest and confident girl, is transferred to her class, Myeong-eun thinks about another possibility. She reflects on the power of the truth behind secrets and lies and looks into a relationship that she can neither easily accept nor ignore. The Hill of Secrets is the story of a girl who builds her own world in her family and her school, and it is the record of a creator who ponders her talents and identity. With open eyes and without overlooking the circumstances of choices, the actors’ performances stand out both individually and in concert with one another. [CHA Hanbi]