Korean Film Archive to hold 'Yuh-Jung Youn Retrospective'

The Korean Film Archive will hold a “Yuh-Jung Youn Retrospective” from May 7 to 18 at the Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, western Seoul to celebrate the actor’s Oscar win. [KOREAN FILM ARCHIVE]

The Korean Film Archive announced on Thursday that it will hold a “Yuh-Jung Youn Retrospective” from May 7 to 18 at the Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, western Seoul to celebrate the actor’s Oscar win.

The playlist features 18 of Youn’s best works from her five-decade film career, including her early works: her debut film “Woman of Fire” (1971), “The Insect Woman” (1972) and “An Experience to Die For (Angel, Become an Evil Woman)” (1990) directed by Kim Ki-young and “Woman Requiem” (1985) by director Park Chul-soo.

In “Woman of Fire” and “The Insect Woman,” Youn portrays Myeong-ja who is obsessed with revenge and lust, while in “An Experience to Die For” she plays a housewife who befriends another woman and the pair go onto kill each other’s patriarchal husbands.

In “Woman Requiem” which ended her hiatus after her marriage and immigration to the United States, Youn plays a mother who murders those who kidnapped and raped her daughter, an unconventional female character at the time.

Other works include director Im Sang-soo’s “A Good Lawyer's Wife” (2003) and “The Taste of Money" (2012), which was invited to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, director E J-yong’s mockumentary “Actresses” (2009) in which she stars as herself and “The Bacchus Lady” (2016) in which she portrays an elderly prostitute who euthanizes her willing clients.

The audience can also see Youn’s many versions of a mother and grandmother in “Boomerang Family“ (2013), “Canola” (2016), “Keys to the Heart” (2017) and “Minari” (2020).

Director Hong Sang-soo’s “In Another Country” (2012) and “List” (2011), along with “Salut D’Amour” (2015) which depicts romance among the elderly, “Beasts Clawing at Straws” (2020) and "Lucky Chan-Sil" (2019) which she appeared in for no compensation are also on the playlist.

Tickets are free and can be reserved at www.koreafilm.or.kr.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]