Synopsis

Dong-ho and Song-hwa are adopted separately by a traditional singer and raised as siblings. Dong-ho plays the traditional drum while Song-hwa sings; together with their stepfather, they travel from place to place performing at parties. As he comes of age, Dong-ho leaves home, weary of poverty, but harbors lingering feelings for Song-hwa. Years later, Dong-ho finds her again—only to learn that she has gone blind because their father gave her harmful medicine. Enraged, Dong-ho suspects that the father, obsessed with Song-hwa as a woman, intentionally blinded her. Soon after, their father passes away, and Song-hwa disappears. Dong-ho joins a traditional performance troupe where he meets a singer named Dan-shim. Though he lives with her, he continues to search for traces of Song-hwa. Meanwhile, the popularity of traditional Korean music fades into obscurity. Director Im Kwon-taek’s 100th film begins as a story about traditional singers, but as it unfolds, it overlaps the life of singing with the life of human beings. The film never separates song from human life and concludes with the purity of music alone. Its message—that art and life are reflections of one another—carries a quiet sorrow, yet the film maintains emotional distance. This restrained and elliptical approach brings a sense of tension. The performances, presented simply and coolly, carry as much weight as the characters themselves. Ultimately, the film arrives at the crossroads where art and life intertwine.

Director

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  • Im Kwon-taek
  • Born in 1936, Im Kwon-taek made his directorial debut in 1962 with Farewell to the Duman River, and has since completed 100 films. His most acclaimed works include Mandala (1981), The Surrogate Woman (1986), and Sopyonje (1993). His film Chunhyang was invited to the competition section of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and he won Best Director at Cannes in 2002 with Chihwaseon. In 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, cementing his reputation as a globally recognized master director. He is currently working on his 101st film, Retrieving the Moonlight.