BURNING | 버닝

SOUTH KOREA | 2018 | COLOR | DCP | 148’ | KOREAN

Lee Chang-dong’s sixth feature is a captivating mystery that revolves around a young man from the countryside, a beautiful woman from his past, and a well-off man. When the girl mysteriously disappears, the boy’s suspicions that her wealthy friend may be primarily responsible begin to take hold of him. Loosely inspired by a short story by Haruki Murakami, the film gradually unfolds as a tale of romantic obsession, a reflection of the class conflicts in contemporary Korea and at the same time as a complex cinematic interplay between appearance and reality. All this is brought to life through magnetic performances, astonishing in its simplicity direction and the requirement that the viewer surrenders to the calm unfolding of the plot in order to reap its marvelous rewards in the end. Thodoris Karamanolis

DIRECTOR: Lee Chang-dong
SCREENWRITERS: Jung-mi Oh, Lee Chang-dong
DoP: Kyung-pyo Hong
MUSIC: Mowg
EDITORS: Da-won Kim, Hyun Kim
PRINCIPAL CAST: Ah-In Yoo, Steven Yeun, Jong-seo Jeon, Soo-Kyung Kim

LEE CHANG-DONG

Acclaimed South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. Born in Daegu in 1954, he began his artistic career in theater and literature. He transitioned to filmmaking in his early forties, quickly establishing himself as a defining figure of Korean Cinema. He also served as South Korea’s Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004. His celebrated filmography is characterized by profound humanism, complex characters, and descriptions of societal trauma. His work frequently explores themes of grief, alienation and redemption.

FILMOGRAPHY
2026 Possible Love
2018 Burning
2010 Poetry
2007 Secret Sunshine
2002 Oasis
1999 Peppermint Candy
1997 Green Fish