Lee Byeong-il’s The Wedding Day marked a breakthrough for Korean cinema. It was not only a domestic success, earning critical acclaim for its comedy and strong moral tone, but also won the award for Best Comedy at the Fourth Asian Film Festival, signalling the beginning of Korean cinema’s emergence on the international stage.
Master Maeng is the head of a modest estate in the countryside, neither especially wealthy nor particularly distinguished. He is therefore overjoyed when, after travelling for a day to the affluent Kim family in Bellflower Valley, he succeeds in arranging his daughter’s engagement to their son. Although he did not actually meet the son during his visit, having heard of his scholarly achievements and seen the Kim family’s considerable wealth and property with his own eyes, he regards this as a minor detail.
However, a travelling scholar from Bellflower Valley soon arrives at the Maeng household, asking to stay for a few days to recover from his journey. In conversation with a manservant, he casually remarks that the Kim family’s son was born lame. Before long, rumours spread throughout the village; the Maeng family is thrown into a state of panic, and increasingly desperate measures begin to be considered.
The introduction will be delivered by India Smith, a Film Programming and Curating MA student at Birkbeck, University of London.