Paju (2009)
Directed by Chan-wook Park
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Synopsis by Mark Deming
A man who has lost the woman he loves is drawn into a new relationship that's as uncomfortable as it is inappropriate in this drama from director Park Chan-Ok. Joong-shik (Lee Sun-kyun) is a political activist who is trying to escape from his own past, in which he inadvertently caused a woman to seriously injure her child. On the run from the law, Joong-shik ends up in Paju, a city near the border between South and North Korea. There, he makes his living as a teacher at a religious academy while working with a local group who are trying to prevent the destruction of historic neighborhoods and encourage better relations with North Korea. Joong-shik falls into a relationship with Eun-soo (Shim Yi-young), the mother of one of his students, Eun-mo. Eun-mo isn't happy that Joong-shik is dating her mother, but when Eun-soo unexpectedly dies in an accident, Joon-shik discovers that the daughter is infatuated with him, leading them into an awkward and difficult relationship. Paju was the opening night attraction at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival.