Poetry
Directed by Lee Chang-dong
Yun Jung-hee [Mija]
Directed by Lee Chang-dong
Winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Poetry is an "achingly exquisite portrait" (Philadelphia Inquirer) of a woman's brave fight against Alzheimer's, and against her guilt over a relative's brutal crime.
This highly acclaimed Korean drama (100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) showcases a performance of "surpassing delicacy" (Los Angeles Times) by Yun Jung-hee, who was voted as her country's greatest actress in a public poll. She plays Mija, an aging part-time maid and full-time guardian of her apathetic grandson. Concerned by her frequent forgetfulness, she takes a poetry class at the local arts center to sharpen her mind. She begins to appreciate the wonders of the natural world, but a schoolgirl's suicide initiates a chain of tragic events that will change her life forever.
Directed with skill and subtlety by Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine), Poetry is a "nearly perfect movie" (Boston Globe) about the power of art to bear witness to both sublime beauty and the violent truths that lie hidden in the hearts of men.
Educational Reviews
"An intimate and emotionally powerful film from South Korean novelist-turned-filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, Poetry is an enthralling drama about an aging woman whose compassion is tested when she learns that a family member is guilty of a terrible act. A Cannes award winner for Best Screenplay, this is one of the most compelling foreign films in recent memory. Highly recommended." - Video Librarian
Critical Acclaim
"An extraordinary vision of human empathy." - Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"Grade: A. Exquisite." - Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
"Beautiful and moving...A masterpiece." - Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
Awards
Official Selection: Cannes (Best Screenplay), Telluride, Toronto, New York
Best Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award
