BIRDCAGE INN (PARAN DEEMUN) Official Selection

A visceral, engaging contemplation of the universal themes of acceptance and belonging, Kim Ki-Duk’s evocative and touching film explores the relationship of two young women to each other and to those around them. Jin-Ah and Hye-Mi are the same age and live under the same roof, but that is where their similarities ostensibly end. Jin-Ah takes up residence as the new call girl at Birdcage Inn in Po-Hang. Not yet hardened by her difficult life, she makes friendly overtures to the innkeepers’ family, especially to college student Hye-Mi. But Hye-Mi works equally hard at maintaining the distance between them, constantly reminding Jin-Ah of their class differences. As tensions heighten and Jin-Ah’s downfall seems imminent, a final crisis is averted by Hye-Mi’s intervention and a sacrificial act of friendship that bridges the gap between the two and forever changes Birdcage Inn.