Asian Film Festival of Dallas 2010

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“Sort this out before you go.”

The superb debut feature from Yang Ik-Joon, BREATHLESS is a foul-mouthed, uncompromising drama about a debt collector who physically and verbally takes out his aggressions on those around him, from his timid grade-school nephew to his persistently disrespected boss.   Sang-Hoon (Ik-Joon) spends his days threatening debtors, training the new staff, and taking time out to occasionally break up peaceful demonstrations with a baseball bat.  When he has a run-in with high school senior Yeon-Hue (Kim Kot-Bi), whose mouth and attitude are almost his equal, they strike up a unique friendship based on a mutual connection:  histories of domestic violence.

Sang-Hoon is without a doubt the most sullen and belligerent character to appear on screen in years, and actor/writer/director Ik-Joon brings him to life with a flawless performance. But he also allows a terrific cast to shine in a film that could easily seem heavy-handed if it weren’t for the emotional connections (for better or worse) between characters and the occasional flashes of dark humor surrounding Sang-Hoon’s behavior.  It is a relentless, violent and powerful film that should not be missed.

The AFFD is very proud to present the Dallas premiere of BREATHLESS.

Director

Yang Ik-Joon

Cast

Yang Ik-Joon, Kim Kot-Bi, Jeong Man-Shik

Country

South Korea

Language

English Subtitles, Korean

Alternate Titles

똥파리 (Ddong-pa-ri)

Runtime

130 minutes

Exhibition Format

35mm