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Korean Cinema Retrospective

Yijoyoin Chanhoksa

Shin Sang-Ok

Korea1967 96min

Synopsis

BRUTALITY OF WOMEN IN THE LEE DYNASTY illustrates the oppressive conditions woman must face during the feudal era. The film is divided into three sections, ,each containing its own unique story. The first section is entitled “Woman Ought To Be Obedient To Their Husbands,” where a woman from a poor family is forced to marry her dead fiancé, and live a life of servitude in her new family. The second is “The Seven Valid Causes For Divorce,” a short about a woman who gets impregnated by another man because of her husband’s impotence. She does this out of love for her husband, but is later scolded by him and his family. The third section, “The Royal Court’s Sex Scandal” is story about a domineering King who keeps a tight control on his wives. In order to prevent an affair with any of his sevants, all of the man are castrated. However, a man from anther land visits the kingdom and falls in love with one of the woman. The woman become pregnant with the man’s baby and tensions arise within the palace walls.

Diretor

Shin Sang-Ok

Sang-Ok Shin is considered on of the vest fimmakers in Korea. He was born in Korea, and has been working on film projects in the U.S. He graduated from Tokyo Art School in 1944, and has been working as a director, producer, and actor since the 1960s. He won many awards, such a Best Screenplay and Best Art Direction, in various film festivals. Some of his well-known films include CONFESSION OF A FEMALE STUDENT, THE STORY OF CHOONHYANG, CHONNYONHO, AND YIJOYOIN CHANHOKSA.