Lim Dae-hyung’s Moonlit Winter follows a mother and daughter’s trip to Japan that becomes a reckoning with a hidden same-sex past. Through restrained performances it explores repression, guilt and intergenerational secrecy, framing physical travel as a path toward emotional thaw. A palpable emotional depth pervades virtually every scene, making for a wholly worthwhile experience. [Read More]
People: Kim Hee-ae
Herstory (허스토리, 2018) review: the courtroom fight for historical justice
While Herstory’s ultimate conclusion may be known to many, with such an important subject that should never be forgotten the journey is equally important, for characters and viewers alike. As such, Herstory is an exemplary realisation of a deeply poignant true-life tale absolutely vital to public awareness of the comfort women’s plight. [Read More]
The Vanished (사라진밤, 2018) review: eerie morgue mystery and gripping psychological duel
Based on the 2012 Spanish film El Cuerpo, The Vanished is exemplary, gripping and unpredictable throughout to the extent that you would never for a second think this is Lee Chang-hee’s debut feature unless you were aware of that fact in advance. [Read More]
Thread of Lies (aka Elegant Lies) (우아한 거짓말, 2014) review: bullying, secrecy and the cost of silence
In focusing on the psychological aspects of bullying rather than the far more often seen examples of physical brutality, ‘Thread of Lies’ can delve far more deeply into the issue. An incredibly insightful and deeply poignant discussion of childhood persecution that feels utterly true to life, from start to finish. [Read More]