Synopsis

​ While preparing for her husband's ritual alone, Wol-yeon receives a call from her best friend Sam-bun, who is suddenly hospitalized. Sam-bun asks her to bring him a “cure-all” that she used to make for him, and when she does, she is overcome with guilt when she learns of Sam-bun's mysterious death that night.

Program Note

​ Wol-rye, who lives alone after the death of her husband, is contacted by her local friend, Sam-boon. Reluctant at first, Wol-rye finds it hard to ignore the request of her friend, who is lying in the hospital. And so, with hesitation, she makes the decision to listen to Sam-boon's whispers, unaware of the unexpected consequences that await her. Opium, a psychological thriller that revolves around the elderly, coolly examines the anxieties of characters living in the shadow of death. The final scene, which juxtaposes the sound of burning firewood and the breathing of the elderly, captures the intertwining emotions of loss and guilt, hinting at the last flickering of the soul. (Nam Sunwoo)

Director

• 
  • Hwang Younghoon
  • Born in 1991 in Cheong-ju, South Korea. He graduated from Cheong-ju University with a major in film. In 2007, the film production team 'Fingerprintfilm' was founded and continues to produce films with colleagues. He has directed several short films, and Opium is his sixth film.