Everyone dreams of starting life all over again, but it isn’t as easy as it seems. Melanie has staunch ambitions of being successful and leaves her beloved town, determined to bring in a fresh approach to her first job, as a high school teacher in the city. Her colleagues and students are unfamiliar with her teaching methods and quickly become annoyed by her. One boy even throws his chocolate drink at her as a token of dissatisfaction. Frustrated, dejected, and lonely, she gradually loses her self-esteem until Melanie finds solace through Tina, the next-door neighbor.
 Maren Ade became considerably interested in filming about a woman who crosses borders, motivated by her desire for kinship, which has resulted in The Forest for the Trees. The film relies on dramatic composition, and the natural, brilliant performances and ensemble of the cast. Melanie clings to the intimate relationship with Tina, only to be rewarded with pain and a ruined self and wants to affirm that she is being loved through the type of the relationship. Eva L쉇au, who plays the role of Melanie, successfully manifests the feelings of despair, dejection, loneliness and so on. The Forest for the Trees is about a desire to be loved by somebody, which is an ageless predicament that touches all of us. (Lim Sung-min)