Taklamakan (2018 Film)

Taklamakan is a South Korean drama film released in 2018, directed and written by Ko Eun-Gi. The film explores the lives of two marginalized individuals struggling to survive in a harsh economic environment.

Promotional poster for the film Taklamakan

Plot

The story follows Tae-Sik, played by Cho Seong-Ha, a man who makes a living by collecting discarded items for recycling. He lives in a state of persistent economic hardship with little hope for improvement. His path crosses with Soo-Eun, portrayed by Ha Yoon-Kyung, a young woman working at a karaoke bar who aspires to become a nail artist. After spending a night together, the two characters find themselves entangled in a tragic situation.

Production and Release

The film was produced by Kim Joon-Young with cinematography by Jo Sung-Woo. It had its world premiere in October 2017 at the Busan International Film Festival. The film was subsequently released in South Korean theaters on March 22, 2018. It has a runtime of 106 minutes.

Cast

Cho Seong-Ha as Tae-Sik
Ha Yoon-Kyung as Soo-Eun
Kong Sang-A as Mi-Sun
Park Soo-Oh as Joon-Ho
An Min-Young as Joon-Ho's mother
Song Eun-Ji as Hyun-Jin
Kim Hyun as the karaoke owner
Jung Soo-Han as a karaoke customer
Lee Ha-Eum as a karaoke helper
Kim Seo-Yeon as the nail shop owner
Kim Jun-Bae as the private loan boss
Lee Jae-Woo as a loan shark
Choi One as General Manager Seo
Yang Seo-Hyun as a high school student