Byeon Jang-ho

"A Journey with Korean Masters" is an omnibus film compiling four shorts created by directors who once dominated Korean cinema: Park Chul-soo, Lee Doo-yong, Lee Jang-ho, and Chung Ji-young. This modest project is the product of collaboration between professional and amateur actors of all ages and the masters. The aim was to promote the city of Seoul and the harmony of old and new. The project began as a promotional event, but its cinematic quality is equal, if not superior, to any Korean films officially invited to BIFF this year. That is by no means simply being polite. This special screening is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the unique characteristics of masters experiencing a cinema renaissance in their twilight years.

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A group of young activists for political reform face the challenges of life together.

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Innocent Bok-nyeo is sold at 18 years old to an elderly widower who sends her to work in the salt mines. There she is raped by the supervisor. Becoming very cynical about life, Bok-nyeo becomes the mistress of a couple of rich men, Choi and Wang. In this way, she becomes accustomed to the high life. However she panics and takes desperate steps when one of her sources of income is about to cut her off.

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Su-haeng finds that his much-valued popularity may not save him when his family cannot afford the open heart surgery he requires.

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Park Mei Ji receives a phone call from a woman who says she and Mei Ji's husband, Inn Min, are living together in Taipei and raising a son. Mei Ji immediately leaves Seoul and flies to Taipei with a friend at the woman's request, discovering that the situation is much more complex and tragic than she initially thought.

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Dr Young-bin treats Mi-ae for alcohol poisoning and a drug overdose. After her recovery, they find themselves meeting often and realize that they have something in common--drinking. Mi-ae tries to get away from her abusive, unemployed lover to be with Young-bin, but when she succeeds she becomes miserable and her drug addiction worsens.

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Shin-ho wants to visit his son but Hye-yeong refuses to allow them to meet due to his past treatment of the boy. Hye-yeong feels that it is time to put the past behind her and, leaving her son in the care of a friend, she leaves Korea with a new lover.

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Sang-ho and Suk compete for a position in a prestigious company and Suk succeeds in securing the job. As she consoles Sang-ho, the two fall in love. What she doesn't realize, however, is that Sang-ho is actually the son of a wealthy tycoon.

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Kindergarten teacher Jeon Hye-yeong brings her son to the child's father, Shin-ho, to be raised. However, the child is unhappy with his father's family and dreams about living with his mother causing Shin-ho's growing frustration with the boy to turn to violence.

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Min-ja, paralyzed after a car accident, becomes depressed and plans her suicide. She attempts to drive away her husband by demanding a divorce so she will no longer be a burden to him.

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Eul-hwa discovers that she has a talent for shamanism. She sends her son away to be raised by monks while she delves into shamanistic rituals and spells. Eventually she becomes a powerful shaman. However, with Christianity taking hold in Korea, Eul-hwa finds her way of life threatened and herself at odds with her religious son.

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Isolation and loneliness slowly drives a woman towards madness and murder.

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Cha's meeting with the beautiful Mi-yeong is misunderstood by his family. His wife, furious at his behavior, packs up and moves to Pusan while his son, disgusted with his father, leaves home for Seoul.

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A woman arrives in Korea and makes her way to her ancestral home to learn the mysterious history of an ornate silver dagger in her possession.

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Mi-yeong informs her boyfriend that she is becoming a prostitute to help her poverty striken family. Although she tries not to, she ends up falling in love with wealthy Dae-seon and moves into an apartment that he supplies. She is satisfied with this arrangement until she learns that Dae-seon's wife is her classmate.

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Man-sook, the king's executioner, promises dutiful Su-kyeong that he will give her father a proper burial after he has been executed. The two fall in love and marry but their lives are complicated by Su-kyeong's ambitious uncle who wants to make use of Man-sook's talent for killing to remove political opponents.

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Kwang-shik misunderstands his wife's motherly attentions for mute Sam-yong, a servant on his land, leading to Sam-yong being fired. Kwang-shik is having an affair of his own and when his mistress' husband finds out, he plans to take revenge on all of Kwang-shik's household.

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In 1900, there lived two widows in a village : Mrs. Seo and her daughter-in-law Ok-Nyeo. Water carriers, new job in those days, decide not to deliver a bucket of water to Mrs. Seo because they don't like her. Ok-Nyeo is saved by Hyo-jin when she is almost raped by water carriers at night to get some water in secret. Sun they fall in love each other and Mrs. Seo gets angry with her daughter-in-law. But she sends them away to live together after she realizes their love is true. Then she devises a plot that her daughter-in-law committed suicide for honor of family and even held a funeral. Therefore two gates of woman are built in the widow's house.

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An omnibus of three stories all taking place in the Myeongdong district of Seoul.

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Yeong-mi swears that she will revenge herself against Ku Yeon-su after he ruins her family. First she gains his trust and eventually moves in with him. Then she sets her plans of his destruction in motion.

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Based on Oh Yu-kwon's novel, A Mountain Hut In No-Man's Land, in which a woman helps two men who seek refuge in her humble mountain home at the start of the Korean War. However, her generosity and kindness leads to her losing her family, house and land.

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Innocent Bok-nyeo is sold at 18 years old to an elderly widower who sends her to work in the salt mines. There she is raped by the supervisor. Becoming very cynical about life, Bok-nyeo becomes the mistress of a couple of rich men, Choi and Wang. In this way, she becomes accustomed to the high life. However she panics and takes desperate steps when one of her sources of income is about to cut her off.

Open details →