Female Directors' Delicate New Films Set to Heat up Theaters in Late Summer

A series of new films by female directors are set to hit theaters one after another starting this month, bringing fresh energy to the box office. What they have in common is that their previous works won acclaim from both audiences and critics. Building on their distinctive, delicate directing styles and emotional depth, the directors are presenting films with very different tones and identities.

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Kicking off this wave of films by female directors is Kim Mi-jo's "The Journey to Gyeongju", which opens on the 26th. It marks Kim Mi-jo's first commercial feature following her acclaimed independent film "Gull", which won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition at the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival. The film has also been invited to the Hawaii International Film Festival and the Florence Korea Film Festival, earning early recognition for its artistic merit.

"The Journey to Gyeongju" follows a mother who loses her youngest daughter and travels to Gyeongju with her three daughters to seek revenge on the perpetrator. As the family embarks on their quest for revenge, they are forced to confront wounds they have kept buried for years. The film combines the tension of a thriller, the wit of a black comedy, and the emotional depth of a family drama, offering a fresh take on the revenge genre. Lee Jung-eun, Kong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam, and Lee Yeon lead the cast.

On September 2, "Portrait of a Family" will be released, marking director Lee Ji-won-IV's first film in eight years since "Miss Baek", which swept numerous film awards. Starring Ryu Seung-ryong and Ha Ji-won, Gwang follows a divorced couple who once enjoyed a glamorous life but suddenly find themselves falling from grace after becoming entangled in an unexpected incident. They risk everything to save their daughter and uncover the truth.

In "Miss Baek", Lee Ji-won-IV explored adult responsibility through solidarity and redemption. With "Portrait of a Family", she delves deeper into family solidarity and sacrifice as people struggle to protect one another in moments of crisis. Through her characteristically direct perspective, she tackles a story that everyone would rather turn away from but someone must ultimately confront, promising both emotional resonance and catharsis.

On September 16, director Kim Do-young's new film "The Intern" will meet audiences. It is a remake of the 2015 Hollywood hit of the same name starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, telling the story of a young female CEO who takes on a 37-year-old senior intern. The Korean adaptation is expected to offer a fresh perspective on communication between generations and the very real challenges people face in everyday life.

Director Kim Do-young also helmed "Once We Were Us", which drew 2.6 million moviegoers earlier this year, an unusually strong box-office performance for a melodrama.