Viy (2008 South Korean Film)

Viy (Korean: 마녀의 관; RR: Manyeoui Kwan) is a 2008 South Korean anthology film directed and written by Park Jin-Seong. The film draws thematic inspiration from the 1835 short story Viy by the Russian author Nikolai Gogol. It premiered at the 13th Pusan International Film Festival in October 2008.

Promotional poster for the film Viy — Promotional poster for the 2008 film Viy.

Structure and Plot

The film is structured into three distinct chapters, each exploring supernatural or psychological elements:

Chapter 1: A strange woman - A film director named 'P' attempts to adapt Nikolai Gogol's Viy into a feature film. During the casting process, he encounters a mysterious actress whose performance creates an unsettling atmosphere.
Chapter 2: VIY - This segment follows a young priest tasked with presiding over the wake of a witch within a remote, aging wooden church. The narrative centers on his struggle to maintain his faith while spending three nights in isolation with the corpse.
Chapter 3: A curtain call - A blind musician named Henri Park collaborates with a group of marionette artists on a stage production of Viy. The story follows his experiences as he finds artistic fulfillment, eventually leading to a discovery by his roommate regarding his nocturnal activities in an abandoned church.

Production and Release

Viy was produced by Young-kook Bae and Il-joong Yun. The film has a runtime of 110 minutes and is presented in the Korean language. Following its world premiere at the 2008 Pusan International Film Festival, the film was screened at several other international events, including the 2009 Fantasia Film Festival and the 2010 Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival.

Cast

The film features performances by:

Jung Seung-Gil
Lim Ji-Yeong
Hwang Taek-Ha
Lee Se-Rang