SECRET SUNSHINE | 밀양

SOUTH KOREA | 2007 | COLOR | DCP | 142’ | KOREAN

Following the sudden death of her husband, a young mother moves with her son to the provincial town of Miryang in search of a fresh start. However, the ‘good Samaritans’ who welcome her soon lead her into a new tragedy. In the throes of an unbearable loss, she turns to religion in search of redemption, only to be confronted with an even harsher existential dead-end. Lee Chang-dong explores faith and the limits of forgiveness, directing a catalytic drama held up as a mirror to existence and bestowing upon Jeon Do-yeon an unrivalled performance (for which she was rightly awarded at the Cannes Film Festival) that captures, in a stunning, powerful way, the absurdity at the heart of religion and the human suffering. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has called “Secret Sunshine” the greatest film of the 21st century. Thodoris Karamanolis

DIRECTOR: Lee Chang-dong
SCREENWRITER: Lee Chang-dong
DoP: Jo Yong-gyu
MUSIC: Christian Basso
EDITOR: Hyun Kim
PRINCIPAL CAST: Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Jo Young-jin, Kim Young-jae, Seon Jeong-yeop, Song Mi-rim, Kim Mi-hyang, Lee Yoon-hee, Kim Jong-soo, Cha Mi-kyung, Lee Sung-min, Kim Mi-kyung, Lee Joong-ok, Yeom Hye-ran

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