Korea’s #MeToo movement was first introduced in art and cultural institutions and industries in 2016 and soon expanded to more mainstream outlets of society. The growth of the movement generated platforms for feminism to release itself from misjudgment and stereotypes and move away from its distorted public perceptions within Korea.

This screening series, which consists of contemporary films directed by Korean women, opens with two works by Yim Soon-rye, a prominent director and an advocate for women in film. The films explore the complexities of diverse conditions, including the trauma of domestic violence, investigations into gender and class politics, humanity’s relation to nature and the environment, and love and friendship. Each film in the series conveys its narrative through the unique lens of its director’s keen perception, remarkable sensibility, and earnest engagement with its subject(s), for a 10-film tour through this new wave of Korean women directors.

Programmed and notes by Hyesung ii.

This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Korea Foundation.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

Donors to the Academy Museum’s fund in support of Asian and AAPI programming include Esther S. M. Chui-Chao, Julia and Ken Gouw, and Dr. Peter Lam Kin Ngok of Media Asia Groups Holdings Limited. Series community partnership provided by Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, GYOPO, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, UCLA Center for Korean Studies, UCLA Center for the Study of Women, Women in Media, and Women's Voices Now.

A New Wave of K-Cinema: Korean Women Directors

Past Screenings in Series