Shown in the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Choice section of the 9th London Korean Film Festival 2014, Director Lee Su-jin’s Han Gong Ju brought the audience near to tears and much nearer to an unbearably harsh reality of life.

Being the Directorial debut of Lee Su-Jin, Han Gong Ju was first shown in the 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013. Being an Independent South Korean film, it made such an impact that it surpassed 100,000 ticket sales at the Box Office making a new record and breaking the ticket sale record of films “Breathless” and “Bedeviled”.

Courtesy of Third Window Films

Han Gong Ju deals with a topic that is mostly ignored. In this world, man always has the upper hand, while the woman is always moved aside. It touches the vulnerability and fragility of the female sex. The character of Han Gong-ju (Chun Woo-Hee) is the same. The film shows the complexities of a certain society in the world which looks away from the wrong being done, and at the same time hides that wrong from the eyes of the public.

This film is mainly for the female audience who would understand it much better than the male audience. Women would relate themselves to the main character, and would understand the things through which Han Gong-ju goes through. I, being a male viewer of the film could only relate myself to the male characters, who to be honest did not have a positive role in the film. There were moments where I thought that one of the male characters would convene and try to help Han Gong-ju, but no one comes to her aid.

Inspired by a true incident, the story revolves around Han Gong-Ju (Chun Woo-Hee), a school girl who is taken in by a new school as a safe haven as she is involved in an incident. She keeps that incident a secret from everyone. Things turn worse when she befriends a few singing girls at school who help her make a fan site which risks her being brought out into public. Thus the movie goes through very fluid twists and turns that slowly bring out the truth of the incident that she is involved in.

Since its release it has won numerous awards including CGV Movie Collage Award and Citizen Reviewers’ Award in the 18^th Busan International Film Festival 2013; Golden Star award in the 13^th Marakech International Film Festival 2013; Tiger Award in the 43^rd International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013; Jury Prize, Critic’s Prize and Audience Award in the 16^th Deauville Asian Film Festival 2013; Audience Award, Best Asian Film – Silver in the 18^th Fantasia International Film Festival 2013; Best New Actress award (Chun Woo-Hee) and Best Independent Film Director (Lee Su-Jin) in the 14^th Director’s Cut Awards 2013. Best Screenplay, Critics’ Top 10 and Best Actress in the 34^th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2014.

Director: Lee Su-Jin

Writer: Lee Su-Jin

Produced by: Kim Jung-Hwan

Cast: Chun Woo-Hee, Jung In-Sun, Kim So-Young, Lee Young-Ran

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Country: South Korea

Lanuage: Korean

World Premiere: October 4, 2013 (Busan International Film Festival)

Release Date: April 17, 2014

Run Time: 112 min