Seom (2000)

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim (writer)

Release Date:

22 April 2000 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mute Hee-Jin is working as a clerk in a fishing resort in the Korean wilderness; selling baits, food and occasionally her body to the fishing tourists...

Plot Keywords:

Fishing | Fish | Mute | Police | Investigation

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jung Suh	...	Hee-Jin
Yoosuk Kim	...	Hyun-Shik
Sung-hee Park	...	Eun-A
Jae-hyeon Jo	...	Mang-Chee
Hang-Seon Jang	...	Middle-aged man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yeo-jin Kim
Won Seo

Directed by
Ki-duk Kim

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ki-duk Kim		writer

Produced by
Eun Lee	....	producer

Original Music by
Sang-yun Jeon

Cinematography by
Seo-shik Hwang

Film Editing by
Min-ho Kyeong		(as Min Hokyung)

Production Design by
Ki-duk Kim

Costume Design by
Eun-jung Joo

Art Department
Ki-duk Kim	....	set designer

Sound Department
Seung-cheol Lee	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Seongho Jang	....	visual effects supervisor: Mofac Studio

Other crew
Judy Dixon	....	press publicist

Production Companies

• Myung Film Company Ltd.

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (for)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2003) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• CJ Entertainment (200?) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Empire Pictures Inc. (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Golden Scene (2001) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Rapid Eye Movies (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Steward (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• Tartan Films (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Teleseis S.L. (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Upstream Pictures (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• First Run Features (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Raro Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Universe Laser & Video Co. Ltd. (2001) (Hong Kong) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Mofac Studio (visual effects)

Also Known As:

The Isle (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Japan:R-18 | Italy:VM18 (DVD) (self-applied) | Singapore:R21 | Finland:K-15/13 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated | Ireland:18 (heavily cut) | Australia:MA

Company:

Myung Film Company Ltd.

Float Your Boat?

There are two immutable truths in matters of the heart. None more desirable than those who do not want you; none less desirable than those you could possess with ease. Somewhere between these two axioms fall the doomed lovers of this spellbinding offering. Beautiful Hee-Jin (Jung) is the grounds keeper for a dingy Korean fishing resort, selling snacks, bait, her tits 'n' ass, to the tourists she ferries between flotillas of fishing huts.

Fugitive Hyun-Shik (Yoo-Suk) shows up one day, shivering, suicidal, utterly alone. Another lost soul, Hee-Jin's smitten because, unlike her sleazy clientèle, Hyun-Shik's different. He doesn't abuse her or make fun of her muteness. And he fashions exquisite little wire sculptures for her, as they study one another across the rain-spattered lake. He in his unreachable desolation, she in her shore-side cabin, cat-like and inscrutable. The first time he tries to kill himself, by swallowing fishing hooks, she brings him back to life – to love – the only way she knows. From suicide to sex in three minutes. And nobody is going to get in her way. Director Kim Ki-duk, responsible for surprise Art-house hit Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter…and Spring, has crafted another beautiful-horrible movie; gorgeous to look at, and often between splayed fingers. It's as minimal and soulful as a haiku. And as painful as falling in love