A Tale of Two Sisters

A twisted adaptation of a Korean folktale, Kim Jee-Woon’s A Tale of Two Sisters broke domestic and international records when it was first released in 2003.

Loosely based on the folktale ‘Janghwa Hongryeon’, the film follows two sisters as they are sent to live with their father and new stepmother in a remote family villa. As the new family adjusts to living together, strange mishaps and ghostly encounters occur as the two sisters cling together against their ‘evil’ stepmother. Most of the film takes place in the family home, supported by stunning cinematography and sound and set design that includes the audience as an observer to the tragic story through a range of still shots and clever framing – creating a beautiful, yet disorientating experience for the viewer.

As one of the most popular modern Korean horror films, A Tale of Two Sisters was restored in 4K resolution in 2016 by the Korean Film Archive under the guidance of the director, Kim Jee-Woon.