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the authorities as a suspected lead poisoning victim. Nevertheless, after Yuki treats Anna for exposure to acid rain, a bond starts to develop between them, and the three spend some time together. Anna cooks a meal for Yuki, and in return Yuki reveals her collection of personal items from previous clients, memories she is safeguarding should those people ever wish to remember their past again. After Anna leaves, Yuki is taken away by the city authorities.
676:
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701:, highlighting Kim Ho-jung's "masterful performance as Anna", and adding, "One scene, though, remains unforgettable. As Anna and K help Yuki struggle to give birth half immersed in the sea, pounded by the surf, their ferocious intensity combines with Moon's agitated digital cameras to create a tour de force: this was the most shattering single scene I saw in Toronto." Peter Rist of
732:, saying, "I admit that the revelation about Anna's expired passport did not make any sense to me, and I was confused by the extra non-Yuki character played by the same actress. I also did not find the epilogue completely necessary. Still, is recommended as an unusual film despite the minor caveats." Comments made in the
358:), their driver, is new to the agency and starting his first assignment. An orphan with no memory of his real family, he keeps an old photograph of himself as a child on the dashboard of his taxi; he picks up other passengers in the hopes that someone will recognize him, even though this is against agency policy.
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After meeting Yuki and K at the airport, Anna is taken to a number of virus exposure sites, but their early attempts at finding the virus are cut short by acid rain storms. Finding out about Yuki's pregnancy and poor health, Anna requests a new guide. K, suspicious of Yuki's behaviour, reports her to
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As Anna and K search through Yuki's belongings, they discover an old passport with Anna's photo in it, suggesting that this is not the first time she has been to the city in search of the virus. Having no memory of such a visit, Anna goes to the
Butterfly Travel Agency headquarters where she demands
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Having recovered from the accident and with her time in Korea drawing to a close, Anna begins to make arrangements for her return home. However, she decides to track down Yuki and uses the last of her money to buy her release. They resume their search for the virus, but are cut short once again when
365:
Continuing without Yuki as a guide, K continues to drive Anna around the city. At first Anna is frustrated by K's efforts to learn about his own past, but they begin to understand each other as they spend more time together. One night, they are involved in a road accident and their taxi veers over
36:
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were somewhat critical of Moon Seung-wook's direction, saying, "some of his favored technical tactics (in particular, camera work that lurches during moments of emotional upheaval) become heavy-handed", though Kim Ho-jung's performance was singled out as the film's "chief strength".
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found the film to be "worthy of cult status... properly weird and dripping with atmosphere", and despite being "sometimes sluggish", it was nevertheless "typical of the inventiveness in genre filmmaking that has characterized recent Korean filmmaking."
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also identified the birth scene as "One of the filmâs best", and stated, "There are some gaps in the narrative and too much reliance is placed on dialogue, but the acting is outstanding, especially by the two principal women". G. Allen
Johnson of
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as being "subtly shaded, eerily translucent, and suffocatingly dreamlike... an underwater world in which the characters seem suspended, floating in voids of their own, unmoored by their own particular estrangements with their pasts".
350:) is one such tourist who arrives in the city having booked a tour with the Butterfly Travel Agency. Anna wishes to become infected with the virus in order to forget the painful memories of her abortion. Her "virus guide", Yuki (
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answers, but as she has signed a waiver they refuse to divulge any information. Later, she tells K how she wanted to adopt Yuki's son in order to make a fresh start, but that she knows he needs the child more than she does.
536:, another South Korean film released in 2001. Both films feature three central characters, each with differing goals but sharing an emotional pain that allows them to develop a strong bond, and both films use a plot deviceâ
374:. Knowing that she will not survive the birth, Anna urges Yuki to put her own health first, though Yuki is adamant that she will have the baby. Unable to reach the hospital in time, Anna fulfils Yuki's wish to have a
385:
Three years later, K is still working as a driver for the agency. No longer searching for answers to his past, he now keeps a photograph of Anna in his taxi, along with one of him and his adopted son.
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tale set in a near future Korea, where an "oblivion virus" which causes memory loss has become the centre of a tourist industry aimed at those who wish to forget the past. Anna Kim, a
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the side of a bridge; Anna rescues K from the water below and manages to resuscitate him, though she later requires treatment herself.
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s "oblivion virus" and the magical Flower Islandâpromising take away painful memories. Lisa Roogen-Runge of
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was released theatrically in South Korea on 13 October 2001, and received a total of 5,700 admissions in
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Lisa Roosen-Runge was less glowing in her report of the 20th
Vancouver International Film Festival for
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The film is set in an unnamed Korean city of the near future, a city plagued with
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The scene where Yuki gives birth in the sea was described by Shelly
Kracier of
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as a "beautiful and strange film offers its viewers a memorable experience".
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found the film's "clear
Eastern European visual pattern" to be reminiscant of
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16th Wine
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1051:"Commercial Releases in 2001: Ranked Box-Office Results for Seoul"
1144:"Le Festival Black Movie, cinémas des autres mondes, 12e édition"
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In a report of the 26th
Toronto International Film Festival for
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traces of that country's tradition of romantic-pessimism, while
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Director Moon Seung-wook received his filmmaking education in
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praised both the director and two lead actresses, describing
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found the "oblivion virus" similar to the magic wine used by
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1026:"The 20th Vancouver International Film Festival â A Report"
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are carried out to prevent the births of deformed babies.
1257:(in Polish). 4. Festiwal Filmowy Era Nowe Horyzonty. 2004
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1214:. Australia-Korea Foundation. 2004-01-14. Archived from
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as "the most shattering single scene I saw" at the 26th
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was released on DVD in South Korea on 7 September 2002.
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San
Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
573:. It was also screened at the following film festivals:
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2nd
Asiatica Film Mediale (28 Novemberâ9 December 2001)
1098:"Incontri con il Cinema Asiatico, 2001 second edition"
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260:(ëëč, literally "Butterfly") is a 2001 South Korean
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1232:. Silver Lake Film Festival. 2003. Archived from
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1191:"Korean Film Newsletter #15 â October 23, 2002"
512:-tinted images, described by Shelly Kracier of
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280:380,000. It marked the feature film debut of
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772:Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
697:, Shelly Kraicer found much to praise about
658:Era New Horizons International Film Festival
629:12th Festival Black Movie (15â24 March 2002)
579:Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
286:Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
56:
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849:Gaia Film Award for Environmental Awareness
339:for the protection of tourists, and forced
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999:"A Visit to Korea: A Tale of Pi-Fan, 2001"
915:. Korean Film Commission. 2001. p. 19
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1230:"Silver Lake Film Festival 4: The Big 5"
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644:Melbourne International Film Festival
600:Vancouver International Film Festival
504:âresulting in a continuous stream of
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634:Brisbane International Film Festival
409:. Filming took place on location in
1301:. San Francisco Bay Guardian Online
1024:Roosen-Runge, Lisa (October 2001).
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791:Locarno International Film Festival
685:Toronto International Film Festival
593:Toronto International Film Festival
586:Locarno International Film Festival
302:Locarno International Film Festival
13:
1404:South Korean science fiction films
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1028:. Senses of Cinema. Archived from
614:London International Film Festival
284:, who won Best Actress at the 5th
14:
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607:Tokyo International Film Festival
1121:Johnson, G. Allen (2002-03-20).
972:. Koreanfilm.org. Archived from
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1277:"Korean Movie Reviews for 2001"
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1146:(in French). Black Movie. 2002
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602:(27 Septemberâ12 October 2001)
468:critic Peter Rist detected in
313:German woman of Korean descent
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1100:. Asiatica Film Mediale. 2001
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1348:at the Korean Movie Database
1189:Paquet, Darcy (2002-10-29).
609:(27 Octoberâ4 November 2001)
462:National Film School in ĆĂłdĆș
389:Production, style and themes
276:, filmed on a low budget of
16:2001 film by Moon Seung-wook
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1399:2000s Korean-language films
1319:Elley, Derek (2001-08-12).
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970:"Koreanfilm Weekly #7"
743:Awards and nominations
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653:(10â18 September 2003)
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288:for her role as Yuki.
1297:Huston (2002-10-04).
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526:has been compared to
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272:and transferred onto
910:"Korean Cinema 2001"
810:Young Critics' Award
616:(7â22 November 2001)
436:A typical shot from
262:science fiction film
67:Revised Romanization
839:Best Cinematography
1321:"Late Locarno Row"
944:. Senses of Cinema
881:Korean Cinema 2001
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671:Critical reception
588:(2â12 August 2001)
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829:Best Sound Design
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1079:. PiFan History
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300:at the 54th
289:
268:was shot on
265:
256:
255:
254:
218:Running time
195:Release date
178:D-Production
1125:. indieWire
1001:. Offscreen
801:Kim Ho-jung
528:Song Il-gon
415:South Korea
376:water birth
348:Kim Ho-jung
337:sanatoriums
333:quarantined
294:Kim Ho-jung
230:South Korea
222:116 minutes
157:Lee Jang-uk
130:Kim Ho-jung
116:Produced by
98:Directed by
1384:2001 films
1378:Categories
1327:2008-08-10
1305:2008-10-04
1283:2008-10-04
1261:2008-08-10
1240:2008-08-10
1197:2008-08-10
1172:2008-08-10
1150:2008-08-10
1129:2010-10-13
1104:2008-08-10
1083:2008-08-10
1077:"5th 2001"
1057:2008-08-07
1036:2008-08-10
1005:2008-08-10
980:2008-10-04
948:2010-10-13
919:2008-08-10
887:January 2,
864:References
759:Recipient
500:, and the
482:KieĆlowski
346:Anna Kim (
206:2001-10-13
171:Production
106:Written by
1323:. Variety
756:Category
709:indieWire
703:Offscreen
478:Tarkovsky
466:Offscreen
407:35mm film
397:380,000,
341:abortions
325:acid rain
274:35mm film
152:Edited by
1369:AllMovie
452:colours.
235:Language
162:Music by
126:Starring
762:Result
562:Release
494:showers
460:at the
444:) with
370:Yuki's
249:380,000
227:Country
204: (
173:company
1255:"Nabi"
753:Award
464:, and
458:Poland
243:Budget
238:Korean
51:Hangul
913:(PDF)
789:54th
750:Year
642:51st
632:11th
622:20th
612:45th
605:14th
598:20th
591:26th
584:54th
571:Seoul
538:Nabi'
502:ocean
486:Water
427:Japan
423:Osaka
411:Busan
1364:Nabi
1358:IMDb
1353:Nabi
1345:Nabi
889:2024
857:Won
853:Nabi
844:Won
834:Won
823:2002
818:Won
814:Nabi
805:Won
784:Won
770:5th
767:2001
723:Nabi
699:Nabi
665:Nabi
656:4th
649:4th
577:5th
567:Nabi
556:Nabi
524:Nabi
510:aqua
508:and
506:blue
490:rain
480:and
470:Nabi
450:aqua
448:and
446:blue
438:Nabi
421:and
419:Kobe
399:Nabi
319:Plot
290:Nabi
266:Nabi
257:Nabi
247:US$
87:Nabi
73:Nabi
29:Nabi
1367:at
1356:at
717:of
530:'s
335:in
1380::
1181:^
1113:^
1066:^
1014:^
989:^
957:^
928:^
897:^
879:.
496:,
492:,
429:.
425:,
413:,
395:$
327:,
304:.
278:$
58:ëëč
1330:.
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208:)
23:.
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