Bu-ja Kang, Jae-un Lee, Kyeong-ik Kim
Theatre director Lee has made his film debut with a version of his successful stage play, which has run continuously in Korea since 1989 and at the last count had been seen by over 2.7 million people. It is the story of an old woman who meets the lord of the dead in her sleep. To escape death, she practices exorcism.
Lee’s film is a drama about the struggle between the old shaman and the messengers of death. The old woman’s resistance against the messengers of death, who are humorously depicted with human weaknesses, is very powerful. The rhythm of the story is derived from the actions and expressions of the characters rather than their psychological descriptions. The Shaman’s rites are dynamic and yet concisely described.
Pusan Film Festival