Tale of Cinema (2005 Film)

Tale of Cinema (Korean: 극장전; RR: Geukjangjeon) is a 2005 South Korean drama film written and directed by Hong Sang-soo. The film is noted for its meta-cinematic structure, which divides the narrative into two distinct but thematically linked parts.

Plot

The film follows a bifurcated structure. The first part presents a short film within the film, depicting a story about a man named Jun Sang-won (Lee Ki-woo) who encounters his former girlfriend, Choi Young-sil (Uhm Ji-won). The two decide to commit suicide together. The second part of the film follows Kim Dong-soo (Kim Sang-kyung), a struggling filmmaker who has just finished watching the aforementioned short film at a cinema. As he wanders through the city, he encounters the actress who played the lead role in the film he just watched, leading to a series of interactions that mirror the themes of the fictional story.

Cast

• Kim Sang-kyung as Kim Dong-soo
• Uhm Ji-won as Choi Young-sil
• Lee Ki-woo as Jun Sang-won

Additional cast members include Gye Sung-yong, Lee Kyung-jin, Jo Han-chul, Kim Myung-soo, Lee Seung-ah, Choi Jung-in, Choi Moo-sung, Hwang Taek-ha, and Bang Joong-hyun.

Production

Tale of Cinema was produced by Jeonwonsa Film and released on May 19, 2005. The film features cinematography by Kim Hyung-koo and was directed and written by Hong Sang-soo, who also served as a producer alongside Marin Kamitz.