God and the dog each get respect and sympathy. Then why can’t a human get redemption? Ching, a hand model, cannot get over the sadness of losing her child; an alcoholic native man Biung, his wife A-Mei, and their daughter who lives apart from them; the man who fixes the abandoned Buddha statue; and the wandering boy Xian ? they are all trying to escape the grasps of despair with the help of religion. Director Singing Chen places various religious images among the characters to question the role and social meaning of religions. Issues of the gulf between the rich and poor, social segregation towards the natives, spiritual impoverishment of modern society, and a dismantled family are brought to attention within the stories of characters. And he criticizes the present state of religion as only an image instead of consolation, solution, or unconditional faith. (Kim Ji-suk)