The Sound of a Flower

“Cry all you want; you’ll be laughing again soon enough. That’s pansori.” Apparently, this adage also applies to films about pansori, a Korean traditional form of musical storytelling that mixes blues and opera. With plenty of tears, laughs, and cheers, The Sound of a Flower provides a stellar showcase for the angelic face and voice of Bae Suzy (member of the K-pop group Miss A), who plays Jin Chae-sun, the first female pansori singer, who risked her life to pursue her dream at a time when it was forbidden for women to sing in public. Disguised as a man, Chae-sun gains entry to the illustrious pansori academy run by master Shin Jae-hyo (Ryoo Seung-ryong), but when her ruse is exposed, she must literally sing for her life in front of the Prince Regent Heungseon Daewongun (Kim Nam-gil). Does she have what it takes or will she be killed in disgrace? (Spoiler alert: she does and she won’t). Presented with the support of Korean Cultural Center New York.