Where to Watch Sopyonje (1993) in the UK

What it's about

The specifically Korean tradition that is reclaimed in Sopyonje is the type of folk-song known as pansori, described as a musical sublimation of South-West Korea's collective grief and suffering - in other words, a kind of blues. The film's three central characters are itinerant pansori singers in the 1950s, a time when many aspects of Korean culture came under siege from Japanese and western influences. The story unfolds through flashbacks. A man named Dong-ho is roaming the rural hinterlands, ostensibly to find rare herbal medicines for his employer back in Seoul, but actually in search of Song-hwa, the woman he grew up with. Orphans, they were both apprenticed to the pansori master Yu-bong who pressured them to sacrifice everything for the art. Dong-ho rebelled and ran away, to become the man he is now. Song-hwa stayed, lost her sight, and outlived Yu-bong. Rumor has it that she is still traveling and still singing pansori... The tale has one truly shocking twist, but the overall one is plaintive, elegiac and serenely beautiful.

Cast and crew

Director

Im Kwon-taek

Writer

Chung-Joon Lee, Kim Myung-gon

Starring

Kim Myung-gon, Jung-hae Oh, Kim Kyu-chul

Details

Release date

Apr 10, 1993

Language

Korean

Country

South Korea

Awards

22 wins & 9 nominations

Where to Watch Sopyonje (1993) in the UK — common questions

Where to watch Sopyonje in the United Kingdom?

We have not confirmed a streaming, rental, or purchase option for Sopyonje in the United Kingdom.

Can I stream Sopyonje or do I have to rent it in the United Kingdom?

We have not confirmed a subscription, rental, or purchase option for Sopyonje in the United Kingdom.

Can I watch Sopyonje for free in the United Kingdom?

We have not confirmed a free option for Sopyonje in the United Kingdom.