Eight years after his award-winning film, Poetry, Lee Chang-dong, Korea’s foremost auteur, is back with a brilliant slow-burning thriller based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning. While making a delivery, frustrated introvert Jong-su runs into Hae-mi, a wild, spirited former childhood friend. He feels that he might have found his soul mate, but to his surprise, when she returns from a trip to Africa, she introduces him to Ben — a new friend she met on her trip. Unlike Jong-su, who can barely support himself, the handsome, mysterious playboy Ben lives in a luxurious apartment, drives a Porsche and claims that he “plays” for a living. He also reveals that he has a “secret hobby,” and a short while after, Hae-mi disappears without a word. Beautifully crafted, this multilayered psychological drama addresses social and economic disparity in a way that illustrates the current world.

In competition for the FIPRESCI and Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Awards.

Director Lee Chang-Dong will be in attendance January 7 and 8.