Breathless

Colour, 35 mm
South Korea, 2008, 130 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

This feature debut by South Korean actor Yang Ik-june takes an indiscriminate look at the cycle of anger and aggression in today’s society. The viewer witnesses heartless violence and verbal abuse in the very opening scene, a faithful portrayal of everyday reality for the main protagonist, who works as a debt collector. For Sang-hoon, brutality and vulgarity are the only forms of communication, and so his blows and punches are freely dispensed not only to his debtors, but also to his colleagues and those closest to him. His need for real communication stifled deep inside him finds an ideal conductor in the flippant student Yeon-hee, with whom he later starts up a relationship. The narrative gradually uncovers parallels and direct links between the families of both characters and, without superficial moralising or clichéd solutions, it reveals the far-reaching consequences of domestic violence. The subdued story develops the original dynamism of the characters and eloquently captures their lives in a series of spontaneously cheerful, drastically physical, and painfully tragic situations.

About the director

Yang Ik-june (b. 1975, South Korea) did his military service and began studying stage acting, graduating from Kongju Communication Arts College. He continued his acting studies at Actor’s 21 Academy, subsequently being cast for film roles. He largely appears in short films by new directors or he accepts supporting roles in feature-length art-house or commercial projects. In 2005, without prior study or experience as an assistant, he directed his own short film Always Behind You (Baraman bonda) and, since then, he has made another two short films. He completed his feature debut last year, Breathless, which he also wrote, edited, produced and starred in. The film won the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam IFF.