SECRET SUNSHINE
Synopsis
After the sudden death of her husband, Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) moves with her young son from Seoul to Miryang, her late husband's hometown, hoping to start anew. However, tragedy strikes again when her son is kidnapped and murdered. Devastated, Shin-ae turns to religion in search of solace and gradually finds a sense of peace. But when she learns that her son's killer has already "been forgiven by God," she spirals into a crisis of faith, feeling as though even her grief has been taken away from her. From that point on, Shin-ae's journey becomes a fierce struggle between faith, loss, and the limits of forgiveness—a profound inner odyssey in search of redemption and the boundaries of belief.
Director's biography
Lee Chang-dong (born in 1954) is one of South Korea's most prominent filmmakers, known for his deeply humanistic films and intricate character psychology. He began his career in the film industry after transitioning from literature to screenwriting, making his directorial debut with Green Fish (1997), which earned him multiple awards. His films, such as A Peppermint Candy (2000), Oasis (2002), Secret Sunshine (2007), and Poetry (2010), have garnered international acclaim, with Oasis winning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. His film Burning (2018) was selected for competition at Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and was widely regarded as one of the best films of the decade. Lee Chang-dong has also been involved in producing and supporting other film projects, solidifying his influential role in South Korean and global cinema.