ABSTRACT
This chapter casts the spotlight on six comparatively neglected female writer–directors with a view to illuminating the diversity of this aspect of the nation’s filmmaking tradition contributing to a Golden Age of Korean cinema since 1996—the year that the South Korean Constitutional Court declared film censorship to be illegal under Korea’s first civilian president, Kim Young-sam. By the early 2000s, high-quality films made by (predominantly male) writer–directors including Lee Chang-dong, Kim Ki-duk, Im Sang-soo, Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Hong Sang-soo, and Kim Jee-woon were succeeding in the export market and at major film festivals, showcasing these accomplished filmmakers for international audiences. Despite the attention bestowed on this group of male “commercial auteurs”, a number of films made by talented women writer–directors have also made a strong contribution to Korea’s contemporary cinema renaissance.
