The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well
Daijiga Umule Pajinnal
credits:
Director: Hong Sang-sooProducer: Lee Ho-Sung
Writers: Hong Sang-soo, Chung Dae-Sung, Yeo Hae-Young
Cast: Kim Eui-sung, Park Jin-sung, Cho Eun-sook, Lee Eung-kyung
South Korea 1996 | 115 mins | 35mm | Korean w/E.S.
Hong Sang-soo’s debut film THE DAY A PIG FELL INTO THE WELL was a critical success that won awards at the Rotterdam and Vancouver festivals, and provided audiences with a glimpse of what to anticipate from South Korea’s New Wave. PIG’s four narratives connect four people: Hyo-sub, a writer struggling with society, and even more with himself; Min-jae, a “jane-of-all-trades” obsessed with Hyo-sub; Po-kyung, a married woman having an affair with Hyo-sub, and Dong-woo, Po-kyung’s lonely husband.
PIG presents the beginnings of Hong’s consistent theme: individuals desperately longing for connection, yet impotent to fully embrace the intimacy they desire. The festival premiered this film for the Bay Area in 1997, and now brings it back for another chance to check out the first film from one of world cinema’s most important auteurs.
—Adam Hartzell
