Secret Sunshine

Lee Chang-dong's 2007 feature follows young widow Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) and her son, Jong (Song Kang-ho), to the town of Miryang, the childhood home of her late husband. While their assimilation into the ebb and flow of the community is not initially easy, Shin-ae is able to make a living as a piano teacher, eventually attracting the attention of a well-meaning mechanic. When a violent tragedy upends her world, Shin-ae seeks solace in an evangelical church; but in her search for redemption, she begins to question a perceived disconnect between the real world and the idealized one advocated in her newfound faith, and she finds herself adrift in a sea of conflicting emotions. Secret Sunshine is a raw, powerful, mature film that explores the difficult subjects of grief and forgiveness. As Shin-ae, Jeon Do-yeon delivers a startling performance (she won Best Actress at Cannes) that plumbs the complexity of her character's tumultuous experiences. An impressive entry in contemporary Korean cinema, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)