The Yeast (2026)

Eighteen-year-old Da-seul lives a quiet life helping her father run a traditional makgeolli brewery. But there's a problem: the origin of the nuruk—the key yeast that shapes the brew's flavor—is unknown, so their rice wine can't be sold legally. Instead, they rely on under-the-table sales to local villagers. Her older brother, Da-hyeon, dreams of modernizing the business. Without telling anyone, he secretly tosses the old nuruk and swaps it with a store-bought version, convinced no one will notice. But the moment it's gone, Da-seul falls mysteriously ill, repeating, "the nuruk is missing." At first, Da-hyeon dismisses it as nonsense, but as her condition spirals, he's forced to take it seriously. His search leads him to an unlikely place where he uncovers clues about the missing yeast. What follows is a chaotic journey involving homeless outcasts, forcing Da-seul and Da-hyeon to confront a long-buried truth they've both been avoiding.