The Barefooted Young

A new genre emerged in South Korea in the 1960s. This was the first decade in which youth culture—strongly influenced by the West—clearly distinguished itself from the values and lifestyle of older generations. Of the ”youth films” that emerged depicting and celebrating this culture, Kim Kee-duk’s The Barefooted Young is by far the best known. Mixing humor and social critique in its story of a poor young troublemaker who falls in love with a wealthy ambassador’s daughter, the film highlights not only Korea’s stark class divisions, but also its widening generation gap, with increasingly wild youth and ever more alarmed parents. Nearly banned by censors, the film enjoyed huge commercial success, turning lead actors Shin Sung-il and Eom Aeng-ran into the decade’s most famous on- and off-screen couple. Digitally mastered in 2011 under the supervision of 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.