Review

In 2017, the JEONJU International Film Festival digitally restored and screened Bhiksuni—an unfinished work—as part of a retrospective on the late writer Song Gil-han. The aim was to uncover the traces of a ''frustrated masterpiece'' and honor the extraordinary artistic spirit the film carried. Many who worked on the project attested that, had Bhiksuni been completed as intended, it could have become a defining achievement for everyone involved. In a 2014 interview with critic Jung Sung-il, published on the Korean Film Archive website, Song Gil-han said, "It's not an exaggeration—if this film had been completed, the time it would have taken to bring our work out into the world would have been significantly shorter. I truly believe that." He was saying that Bhiksuni could have reached major festivals like Cannes and brought international recognition to director Im Kwon-taek and Korean cinema as early as the 1980s. Even without indulging in these what-ifs, the completed 20% of the film definitely reveals flashes of brilliance. Actress Kim Ji-mee—who initially planned to produce the film herself—gives such an intense, radiant performance that the absence of sound barely registers. The 40-minute restoration opens with a documentary, featuring testimonies from the original cast and crew with Song Gil-han himself appearing multiple times. After the screening, Kim Hong-Joon, director of the Korean Film Archive, will join for a conversation with the audience. (MOON Seok)

＊ English interpretation will not be provided during the Q&A session.

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