A lovely older woman in her first stages of Alzheimer’s disease deals with an ugly, male-dominated world by finding beauty where she can. “Mi-ja” is played by Yun Jung-hee, one of Korea’s most treasured actresses. “Mi-ja” is a polite, self-effacing grandmother charged with the care of a loutish teenage grandson as well as an elderly man who’s had a stroke. A pensioner who has become invisible and ignored, she dreams of writing poetry like she did as a young girl. Yun Jung-hee breathes resilience and strength into “Mi-ja’s” graceful femininity as she strives to tempt the muse through a poetry class. Sadly, inspiration finally comes in the resolution of a moral dilemma which concerns her grandson and his friends, who’ve driven a young girl to suicide with their sexual attention. “Mi-ja” finally finds her poetic voice by doing the right thing.
“To Mi-ja, writing poems is important because she’s discovering the meaning of the world. The paradox of her life is that she’s leaving the world and forgetting the words.” – Tim Lee
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
New York, NY – July 28, 2011 – Kino Lorber is proud to announce the Blu-ray and DVD release of Poetry (2010), a film by Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine, Oasis). This critically acclaimed Korean drama, which won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival, is an “achingly exquisite portrait” (Philadelphia Inquirer) of a woman’s brave fight against Alzheimer’s, and against her guilt over a relative’s brutal crime.
Poetry comes to Blu-ray and DVD with special features, including a making-of documentary, an interview with actor Ahn Nae-sang, trailers and stills galleries. The Blu-ray is priced at $34.95, while the DVD is priced at $29.95. Both are available for prebook on July 26, 2011, with a street date of August 23.
Directed with skill and subtlety by Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine),
Poetry is a “nearly perfect movie” (Boston Globe) about the power of art to
bear witness to both sublime beauty and the violent truths that lie hidden
in the hearts of men.
SPECIAL FEATURES
· Making Of Documentary · Interview with Actor Ahn Nae-sang
· Trailers · Stills Gallery · Presented in 5.1 Surround Sound
POETRY
Director: Lee Chang-dong
Genre: Drama
Blu-ray SRP: $34.95
DVD SRP: $29.95
Prebook date: July 26, 2011
Street date: August 23, 2011
2010 · South Korea · 139 min. · Color · Anamorphic (1.85:1) · In Korean
with optional English subtitles
