interpretation

Even before the ending proved it, I had the strong feeling that this was a fairy tale, not a realistic story. So what is it about? My impression was that the girl was not a human being. I considered her to be a force of nature or a spiritual entity, and finally settled on the idea that the girl is creativity or inspiration or simply an idea. Think about it: she came to the old man ten years ago. All this time he has been waiting for her to mature while he was preparing and refining her (the washing that is shown repeatedly). Others have been trying to steal her for their selfish needs, but he has protected her and kept her for himself. She has also resisted these people, recognizing their base nature. The young man is the only one she is attracted to. Why? Because he is friendly and handsome? That seems too simple. Look at what actually attracts her: he is listening to music, he lets her share his taste in music, he gives her his music. Music is what she shared with the old man, so of course she is attracted to someone who shares new and different music with her. And she doesn't just listen to it, she creates it: just as she can play the old man's instrument, she can also listen to her own music through the young man's headphones - even when they aren't plugged into any external source of music. The young man, unlike the old man, doesn't just want her for himself, he repeatedly says that she should see the world (belong to the world). The old man recognizes the danger and fights against the loss of his muse. Finally, the day of the ritual arrives. To complete the ritual, to become one with her, he has to kill her physical form (if the film was about love or sexual desire, why would he point the arrow at her, why would he consider killing her when he is finally about to fulfill his desire?), but he at last realizes how selfish he was. By changing the ritual and sacrificing himself, he finds a way to bring her to maturity (the deflowering/orgasm scene) without killing her physical form and drawing her into himself. Finally, she is ready to experience the world and for the world to experience her. The old man's world vanishes into the sea, but this is not a sad thing, as the world will be richer with the girl inspiring it.