Play-with-Korea

A scene from ``A Barefoot Dream’’ by Kim Tae-kyun. The sports drama was inspired by the true story of a South Korean footballer who discovers hope while coaching East Timorese children. It is the first feature film to be screened at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. / Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex

With South Korea set to compete Saturday in the World Cup round-16 match, the football fever here is hotter than ever.

A timely release is ``A Barefoot Dream,’’ about the so-called ``Hiddink of Korea’’ that coaches penniless East Timorese children (named after the Dutchman who led the Taeguk Warriors to the 2002 World Cup semifinals).

Made with the support of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and having been the first ever feature film to be screened at the U.N., ``Barefoot’’ is a solid, politically correct (and a bit sugar coated) sports movie that is all about the love of the game.

It showcases all the hallmarks of the classic underdog movie, with adrenaline-pumping sequences, but is also so much more. It is a humane tale about ``jeong’’ or collective compassion that touches upon the timeless themes of hope and redemption while offering an incisive observation of a developing country.