Based on a premise that is going to be offensive to many viewers, Village in the Mist is a tale about a rapist whose violations of women in a small town in the middle of nowhere are not only condoned, but almost encouraged. When an innocent new schoolteacher (Chong Yun-hui) arrives to start teaching in the village, she notices that a strange, unkempt man by the name of Kae-ch'oi (An Song-ki) hangs around the houses, begging meals and sometimes receiving lodging for the night. Everyone in this rural town knows everyone else -- in fact -- everyone belongs to the same family except for the slightly menacing Kae-ch'oi. As circumstances unfold, the teacher discovers that Kae-ch'oi has raped every woman in the village once -- without reprisals or the slightest condemnation -- because his acts are believed to reduce adultery and to keep the village from becoming too inbred. Since the schoolteacher herself is raped, but is not a member of the clan that lives in the village, the question arises as to whether Kae-ch'oi is acting under the noble principles of genetic truths or something closer to aggressive misogyny. The unbelievable reactions of the women are to brand Kae-ch'oi "the one we long for." The South Korean director responsible for this film is Im Kwon-t'aek.
by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
