Male Instruction Manual (2013 Film)
Male Instruction Manual (Korean: 남자 사용설명서; RR: Namja Sayongseolmyungseo) is a 2013 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Lee Won-Suk. The film explores the life of an overworked assistant director who discovers a mysterious instructional tape set that promises to change her romantic life.
Plot
Choi Bo-Na (Lee Si-Young) is an assistant director at an advertising agency who is perpetually overworked and neglected in her personal life. During a commercial shoot at a beach, she clashes with Lee Seung-Jae (Oh Jung-Se), a famous and temperamental actor. After being left behind by her crew, she encounters a mysterious man (Park Young-Gyu) who sells her a set of instructional tapes titled Male Instruction Manual. These tapes provide unconventional advice on how to manipulate and influence men, leading Bo-Na on a transformative journey.
Production
The film was directed by Lee Won-Suk, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Noh Hye-Young and Lee Ho-Jae. Principal photography for the production began on April 17, 2012, and concluded on June 27, 2012. The film was distributed by Lotte Entertainment and released in South Korea on February 14, 2013.
Cast
- Lee Si-Young as Choi Bo-Na
- Oh Jung-Se as Lee Seung-Jae
- Park Young-Gyu as Dr. Suwalski
- Kim Jung-Tae as Woo Sung-Chul
- Lee Won-Jong as Yook Bong-A
- Bae Sung-Woo as CEO Jin
- Kim Joon-Sung as Oh Ji-Hoon
- Kim Min-Jae as AD Jo Seung-Hwan
- Kyung Soo-Jin as Kim Mi-Ra
- Kim Kyung-Jin as a man attempting to enter a taxi
Reception and Festivals
Male Instruction Manual was screened at several international film festivals, including the 15th Udine Far East Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award, and the 17th Fantasia Film Festival, where it won the Bronze award for Best Asian Feature. It also appeared at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival and the 12th New York Asian Film Festival.
