Schoolgirl Sun Nyog suffers from pain and hardships, life and the world around her confuse the girl. Her father, a Buddhist monk, left them, the mother has totally neglected her daughter while her lover harasses the girl. One winter day Sun Nyog goes to the temple. She decides to study Buddhism and is ordained as a nun. In 1989 the film participated in the MIFF competition and won the Bronze St. George for Best Actress.
Direction
Im Kwon-taek's patient gaze finds transcendence in ritual and restraint.
Acting
Kang Soo-youn's volcanic stillness—every blink contains a crisis of faith.
Cinematography
Temple corridors as psychological spaces, mountains as mirrors for longing.
Director
Im Kwon-taek
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during South Korea's democratic transition, the film's monastery becomes a metaphor for rigid social structures young women were beginning to reject.
Kang Soo-youn won Best Actress at Venice for this role—still one of only three Korean women to do so.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
KR
