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Poetry

Directed by Lee Chang-Dong
Film Movement Classics
2010
139 Minutes
South Korea
Korean
Drama, Classics, Asian
Asian Studies, Aging, Literature
Not Rated
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Kind-hearted Mija (Yun Jung-hee) is tasked with raising her troubled teenage grandson, Jong-wook, while her daughter works in far-off Busan. In denial that her abilities as a caregiver are threatened by the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, Mija begins to study poetry writing at the local cultural center. At first she finds inspiration in the beauty of the natural world, but then, when Jong-wook is mired in a shocking scandal, Mija taps into newfound depths of disappointment and pain.

Winner of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and Best Screenplay at Cannes, Lee Chang-dong's POETRY is a “tour de force” that presents an “extraordinary vision of human empathy” (The New York Times). Presented in a new 4K restoration.

Cast

  • Yun Junghee
  • Lee David
  • Kim Hira
  • Highest Rating
    "Critic's Pick! An extraordinary vision of human empathy. [A] tour de force...."
    Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
  • Highest Rating
    "Grade: A. Exquisite."
    Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
  • Highest Rating
    "Beautiful and moving...A masterpiece."
    Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
  • Highest Rating
    "A deceptively gentle tale with a tender ache at its center, as well as a performance from Yun Jung-hee that lingers long in the memory."
    Justin Chang, Variety
  • Highest Rating
    ""Poetry" is daring in the ways only quiet, unhurried but finally haunting films have the courage to be."
    Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
  • Highest Rating
    "Sometimes you don't fully appreciate what a movie's doing to your heart until it's been shattered."
    Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
  • Highest Rating
    "The movie has the breadth and moral weight of a great contemporary novel...."
    Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice

Gallery

Awards & Recognition

Winner
Best Screenplay
Cannes Film Festival
Winner
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention
Cannes Film Festival
Winner
Best Director
Asian Film Awards
Winner
Best Screenwriter
Asian Film Awards
Winner
Best Actress
Los Angeles Film Critics Assoc. Awards
Winner
Achievement in Directing
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Winner
Best Actress
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Winner
Best Film
Korean Assoc. of Film Critics Awards
Winner
Best Screenplay
Korean Assoc. of Film Critics Awards
Official Selection
Karlovy Vary Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
New York Film Festival

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