Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet

Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet
Theatrical release poster
Hangul	동주
Hanja	東柱
RR	Dongju
MR	Tongju
Directed by	Lee Joon-ik
Written by	Shin Yeon-shick
Produced by	Shin Yeon-shick Kim Ji-hyung
Starring	Kang Ha-neul Park Jeong-min
Cinematography	Choi Yong-jin
Edited by	Kim Jung-hoon
Music by	Mowg
Release date	February 17, 2016 (2016-02-17)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	South Korea
Languages	Korean Japanese
Budget	₩500 million (US$378,000)
Box office	US$7.8 million

Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (Korean: 동주) is a 2016 South Korean black-and-white biographical period drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik and written by Shin Yeon-shick, starring Kang Ha-neul as the titular character, and Park Jeong-min. It was released in South Korea on February 17, 2016.

Plot

During the Japanese colonial period, when names, language, and dreams were forbidden, Dong-ju and Mong-gyu, cousins of the same age, were born and raised together. Dong-ju, a young man who dreams of becoming a poet, sees Mong-gyu, who acts fearlessly for his beliefs, as both his closest friend and a figure difficult to surpass.

The two leave their chaotic homeland to pursue studies in Japan, which forces them to adopt Japanese names. There, Mong-gyu becomes even more devoted to the independence movement, while Dong-ju continues to write poetry, mourning the tragedy of their times. This deepens the conflict between them, as Mong-gyu is driven by action, while Dong-ju expresses his despair through words.

Cast

• Kang Ha-neul as Yun Dong-ju
• Park Jeong-min as Song Mong-gyu
• Kim In-woo as Detective
• Choi Hee-seo as Kumi
• Shin Yoon-jo as Lee Yeo-jin
• Min Jin-woong as Kang Cheo-Joong
• Choi Hong-Il as Dong-Ju's father
• Lee Bit-na as Yun Dong-Ju's younger sister
• Moon Sung-keun as Jeong Ji-yong

Reception

The film was fifth placed on its opening weekend in South Korea, grossing US$1.14 million.

Awards and nominations

References