Park Jung-bum’s second feature is Sisyphean tale of epic proportion, addressing the crushing personal effects of economic and social marginalization. Park casts himself in the lead role of Jung-cheol, a man at the bottom of the economic ladder but not for his lack of hard work and perseverance. Jung-cheol fights day in and day out to create a better life for himself, his mentally distressed sister, and her young daughter. Gritty and powerful in its simplicity, Alive is a tour de force on human tenacity.