Box Office: Innocent Thing, My Father’s Emails, Son of God

Innocent Thing (Korea)

Opened April 10
Thriller. Directed by Kim Tae-gyun.

Former athlete and school teacher Joon-gi (Jang Hyuk) is married to his dutiful, pregnant wife, Yoo-jin (Sun Woo-sun). He doesn’t have much interest in teaching and would rather be a rugby coach, but this would not guarantee a stable income. He eventually falls for one of his students at an all-girls high school, who is seductive and at times too mature for her age. 

My Father’s Emails (Korea)

Opening April 24
Documentary. Directed by Hong Jae-hee.

Filmmaker Hong Jae-hee’s personal documentary “My Father’s Emails” features the life of her late father, who sent her a total of 48 e-mails throughout the last year of his life. He shared his life story, from experiencing the Korean War (1950-1953) -- he was born and raised in Hwanghae Province, which now belongs to North Korea – and the Vietnam War, up to what he saw during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Hong’s father was estranged from his two daughters. Hong also interviews her older sister, who moved to the U.S. to get away from their father because, among other reasons, he suffered from alcoholism and was often physically abusive. The film is noted for its brave, nuanced depiction of a family’s history, which is inseparable from the modern history of the nation. 

Son of God (the U.S.)

Opened April 10
Drama. Directed by Christopher Spencer.

This epic biblical drama film features the life of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. It follows the life of Jesus from his miraculous birth, his visit to Galilee, as well as his first encounter with well-known followers, including Peter, James, John and Matthew. The film also highlights most of the miracles Jesus performed, including multiplying the loaves and fishes, walking on water, and raising Lazarus from the dead, before ends with his crucifixion and resurrection.

August: Osage County (the U.S.)

Opened April 3
Drama. Comedy. Directed by John Wells.

Violet (Meryl Streep) lives in a rural area outside Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with her husband, Beverly (Sam Shepard), an alcoholic but kindhearted poet. Extremely contentious and bitter, she suffers from oral cancer and struggles with drug addiction. One day, out of the blue, Beverly hires a young Native American woman as a live-in cook and caregiver for Violet, and then disappears from the house. Devastated, Violet calls her three daughters, two of them living far away for many years, for support. 

Han Gong-ju (Korea)

Opening April 17
Drama. Directed by Lee Su-jin.

Han Gong-ju is a 17-year-old girl who starts a new life in a new school, leaving everything behind in her hometown. She makes new friends and begins to sing again, which she gave up after going through a traumatic event in the past. But everything changes when the parents of her old classmates visit Gong-ju out of the blue. The debut feature by director Lee Su-jin won numerous awards from international film festivals, including Rotterdam and Marrakech.