Revving up to showcase for the 71st Berlinale next month, Hitchhiker helmer Jéro Yun’s new movie, Fighter, has already become a festival darling since premiering for Busan last year, and earning both the NETPAC award, as well as the Actress Of The Year.
That title went to Lim Seong-mi who etches in a formidable notch as a leading lady this time following credits like Jeong Ka-young’s Cinema With You and Lee Ga-hong’s I Should Have Killed That Bastard. Fighter will soon go on to release in South Korea from March 18, and has a new trailer up to help stir interest.
“I don’t have time to waste with fighting!” — “What do you mean, fighting? Jina…boxing is a sport.”
After successfully escaping North Korea and spending months in a social inclusion facility, Jina moves into her new apartment in Seoul. However, the path to a self-determined life continues to challenge the young woman. Her mother, who has become a stranger to her, lives somewhere in town, while her father is still stuck in the north. In order to raise the money for his escape, Jina toils day and night. Following a period of setbacks, she changes her tactics. While working in a gym, she puts on her boxing gloves. The sheer tension of her body reflects struggle for recognition far beyond the boxing ring. The film carefully tells the story of a refugee’s fate in a divided country, the inner border of which is not just on the map.
Also starring are Baek Seo-bin, Oh Kwang-rok, Lee Seung-yeon, Park Seo-yoon and Kim Yoon-seo.
