Madonna (2015 film)

2015 South Korean film

Madonna

Theatrical poster

Directed by| Shin Su-won
Written by| Shin Su-won
Produced by| Francis Lim
Starring| Seo Young-hee
Kwon So-hyun
Cinematography| Yun Ji-woon
Edited by| Lee Do-hyun
Music by| Ryu Jae-ah

Production
company

June Film

Distributed by| Little Big Pictures

Release dates

* May 20, 2015 (2015-05-20) (Cannes)
* July 2, 2015 (2015-07-02) (South Korea)

Running time

| 121 minutes
Country| South Korea
Language| Korean
Budget| US$350,000[1]

Madonna (Korean: 마돈나) is a 2015 South Korean mystery-drama film written and directed by Shin Su-won.[2][3][4][5] It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Kwon So-hyun won Best New Actress at the 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.[17]

## Plot

[edit]

Due to her mounting bills, Moon Hye-rim becomes a nurse's aide and is assigned to the VIP ward to take care of a patient who has been left paralyzed by a stroke, Kim Cheol-oh. Cheol-oh is a billionaire tycoon and the hospital's major investor, and for ten years his unscrupulous son Sang-woo has done everything in his power to extend his father's life through a series of organ transplants because Cheol-oh had instructed in his will that his entire fortune is to be given to charities (thereby putting an end to Sang-woo's affluent lifestyle). One day, a brain-dead, pregnant young woman named Jang Mi-na is brought to the hospital after a mysterious car crash. In exchange for a sum of money, Hye-rim agrees to Sang-woo's instructions that she track down Mi-na's next-of-kin and get them to sign an organ donation consent form for her heart. As Hye-rim delves into Mi-na's past and discovers that Mi-na was bullied since childhood for her hair color, weight and poverty, to her adulthood as a sexually abused factory worker who becomes a prostitute named "Madonna," the more Hye-rim forms a strange bond with her comatose patient and becomes determined to derail the heart transplant.

## Cast

[edit]

* Seo Young-hee as Moon Hye-rim[18]
* Kwon So-hyun as Jang Mi-na[19]
* Kim Young-min as Kim Sang-woo
* Ko Seo-hee as Go Hyeon-joo
* Yoo Soon-chul as Kim Cheol-oh, the Chairman
* Ye Soo-jung as Foul-mouthed old woman
* Shin Woon-sub as Dr. Han
* Byun Yo-han as Dr. Im Hyeok-gyu
* Lee Myung-haeng as Sales team manager Park
* Kim Jo-jung as Pimp
* Han Song-hee as Mi-young
* Lee Sang-hee as Ah-ram
* Park Hyun-young as Joon-hee
* Jin Yong-wook as Jong-dae
* Kim Hyun-sook as Mi-na's grandmother
* Susanna Noh as Teacher Choi
* Kim Jeong-yeon as young Mi-na
* Park Ji-young as younger Choi
* Choi Hee-jin as Coffee shop owner

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Recipient  | Result

|
|
|
|

2015  | 24th Buil Film Awards | Best New Actress  | Kwon So-hyun | Nominated
35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Won
36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Nominated
2016  | 52nd Paeksang Arts Awards | Nominated
3rd Wildflower Film Awards | Best Director (Narrative Films)  | Shin Su-won | Won
Best New Actor/Actress  | Kwon So-hyun | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Low-budget Madonna stands tall in theater opening". The Korea Times. 2 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
2. ^ Noh, Jean (17 May 2015). "Shin Su-won, Madonna". Screen International. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
3. ^ Kim, Su-hyeon (23 February 2015). "Finding New Diversity Films within 2015 Korean Cinema!". Korean Cinema Today. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
4. ^ Won, Ho-jung (28 June 2015). "Herald Interview: Madonna casts a harsh light onto women suffering in Korea's shadows". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
5. ^ Park, Jung-ho (21 July 2015). "With dark film, Korean director makes history". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
6. ^ "The 2015 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
7. ^ Conran, Pierce (17 April 2015). "Korean Trio Invited to Cannes Official Selection". Korean Film Biz Zone. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
8. ^ "Three Korean films invited to Cannes". The Korea Herald. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
9. ^ "3 Korean Films Invited to Cannes". The Chosun Ilbo. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
10. ^ "Low-Budget Korean Film Hailed at Cannes". The Chosun Ilbo. 22 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
11. ^ Tsui, Clarence (20 May 2015). "Madonna: Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
12. ^ Lee, Maggie (20 May 2015). "Cannes Film Review: Madonna". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
13. ^ Bechervaise, Jason (20 May 2015). "Madonna: Review". Screen International. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
14. ^ Elley, Derek (1 June 2015). "Madonna". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
15. ^ Conran, Pierce (28 May 2015). "MADONNA Receives Top Marks from Cannes Critics". Korean Film Biz Zone. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
16. ^ Lim, Jeong-yeo (9 July 2015). "Madonna gets love calls from international film festivals". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
17. ^ Conran, Pierce (2 November 2015). "THE THRONE Tops Korean Association of Film Critics Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
18. ^ Yoon, Ji-won (7 July 2015). "Actress tries to escape stereotypes". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
19. ^ "Interview: Madonna Kwon So-hyeon-i, "I was asked to get mental therapy"". HanCinema. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Madonna at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
* Madonna at IMDb
* Madonna at HanCinema