Park Nam Ok, Korea’s first female movie director, passed away on Saturday at the age of 94. The director died from natural causes at her home in Los Angeles.
Park Nam Ok became Korea’s first female filmmaker in 1955 with her first and only feature film, the black and white “The Widow,” which she also edited. The movie focused on the struggles and issues facing widowed women during the Korean war, a highly controversial subject at the time. The lead character of Min-ja, one of thousands of Korean War widows, refuses to obey the Confucian codes that dictate she must remain faithful to her late husband.
Park Nam Ok was only permitted to release the film after the New Year, as it was believed to be bad luck if the New Year opened with a film directed by a woman.
Park Nam Ok became Korea’s first female filmmaker in 1955 with her first and only feature film, the black and white “The Widow,” which she also edited. The movie focused on the struggles and issues facing widowed women during the Korean war, a highly controversial subject at the time. The lead character of Min-ja, one of thousands of Korean War widows, refuses to obey the Confucian codes that dictate she must remain faithful to her late husband.
Park Nam Ok was only permitted to release the film after the New Year, as it was believed to be bad luck if the New Year opened with a film directed by a woman.
- 4/14/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
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