Hanji (film)


Hanji is a 2011 South Korean drama film written and directed by Im Kwon-taek. It is Im's 101st film and was inspired by a true story.

Plot

Pil-yong is a middling civil servant who is gripped by guilt every time he sees his wife Hyo-kyung, who is half-paralyzed from a stroke induced by his affair with another woman. But he finds newfound purpose in life when he is assigned to revive Jeonju's hanji industry. Hanji is Korean traditional paper made from mulberry trees; it is known in Asia for its beauty, flexibility and high quality, can reportedly last a thousand years, and is used for writing and creating 2D images similar to painting as well as 3D objects such as chamber pots and tea service. What begins as a desperate attempt to be promoted at work turns into a consuming passion as Pil-yong discovers the beauty of the craft, and he joins other devotees to reenact traditional methods of hanji-making under the moonlight.

Cast