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Liberal take on artist SHIN Yoon-bok arrives in cinemas

Director JEON Yun-su returns with Mi-indo (English translation: portrait of a beauty), the cinematic adaptation of the popular novel Baramui Hwawon (English translation: painter of the wind) by LEE Jeong-myeong. The book portrays monumental painter SHIN Yoon-bok as a woman disguised as a man.

KIM Min-sun portrays the famous artist as a woman and women were not permitted to be artist in the late Joseon dynasty. Therefore, the talented young woman disguises herself as a man. KIM Young-ho plays legendary artist KIM Hong-do who mentored SHIN. In the fictional tale, KIM Hong-do and SHIN Yoon-bok had besides a mentor-student relation, also a romantic involvement.

The popular novel sparked renewed interest on a broad scale in SHIN whose life is little known. A television drama adaptation starring MOON Geun-young has a large following, and the exhibitions of SHIN’s paintings draw huge crowds.

Scholars have criticised the entertainment industry for distorting facts about a major artist who is representative of the Joseon era and was undoubtedly a man.

JEON’s previous film was the box office hit Le Grand Chef. KIM Min-sun played in KIM Tae-yong’s Memento Mori. KIM Young-ho portrayed a contemporary artist in HONG Sangsoo’s Night and Day. Mi-indo premieres on 13 November.

Yi Ch’ang-ho (KOFIC)