The Housemaid

It took more than forty years for this milestone in South Korean cinema to be discovered in the West. But then it met with great enthusiasm; in 2003, Jean-Michel Frodon, editor-in-chief of the leading French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma described the discovery as a marvellous feeling, praising writer-director Kim Ki-young not only for telling the story in extraordinary images, but also for creating an utterly unpredictable work. In South Korea, the film is regarded as belonging to the best South Korean cinema has produced. In 2010, Im Sang-soo issued a highly successful remake.

Kim Dong-sik, a piano teacher, is married and father of two. The third child is on its way, so the family has moved to a larger home. Both he and his wife work hard, which leaves little time for housework. They find a housemaid in the young Myung-sook, a woman who behaves rather strangely. Her arrival has a disruptive effect on the Kim household.

Restored in 2008 by the Korean Film Archive (KOFA) and the World Cinema Foundation at HFR-Digital Film laboratory. Additional funding provided by Armani, Cartier, Qatar Airways and Qatar Museum Authority.