BURNING

Burning tells the story of three individuals and a mysterious incident they experience. Jongsu bumps into an old friend, Haemi, on a part-time delivery job. Haemi asks Jongsu to take care of her cat while she leaves on a trip to Africa. When she returns, Haemi introduces Jongsu to Ben, a man she met in Africa. One day, Ben and Haemi pay Jongsu a visit, and Ben reveals his secret interests to Jongsu.

Lee Chang-dong (1954) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, and novelist. He has directed six feature films: Green Fish, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine, Poetry and Burning. Lee has won Special Director's Award at the 2002 Venice Film Festival and the Best Screenplay Award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. He has also been nominated for the Golden Lion and the Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.

The film paints vivid portraits of three distinct characters and inspires sympathy with a bewildered protagonist; moreover, it depicts a particular social milieu in such a way that one comes to see it as existing beyond the subjects' control.

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader