A Woman Judge
Korean Cinema’s Golden Decade: The 1960s
September 1 - 17, 2023
The second Korean feature to be directed by a woman, A Woman Judge is a revelatory directorial debut from Hong Eun-won that deftly weaves together elements of family melodrama, detective procedural, and courtroom drama to tell a compelling story that resonates to this day.
Introduction by programmer Young Jin Eric Choi on Sept. 5.
The second Korean feature to be directed by a woman, A Woman Judge is a revelatory directorial debut from Hong Eun-won that is loosely inspired by a true story. The film revolves around Jin-sook, a newly appointed judge who is facing mounting pressure from her jealous husband and his family to conform to the traditional expectations of a housewife. As compelling as this family melodrama is in itself, the film is particularly remarkable for its sudden tonal shift in the third act, transforming seamlessly into a detective procedural before culminating in a riveting courtroom climax. It was considered lost for more than 50 years (the fate of Hong’s two subsequent directorial efforts), but then a 16mm print was recovered by the Korean Film Archive in 2015. Though the film is plagued with severe deterioration and missing footage, the story of a fearless woman who fought against societal norms, told by a director who herself broke the boundaries of her time, bursts through the noise and resonates to this day. Digitally mastered in 2015 by the Korean Film Archive.
For $30, receive one ticket to this film and a select menu item at Café Paradiso, located in FLC’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Learn more about our Dinner + Movie combo here.
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