THE FAKE (SAIBI) New Auteurs

South Korean animator Yeon Sang-ho’s sophomore feature film is an intriguing and controversial exploration of blind faith and the distorted beliefs that define good and evil. A small rural village is on the verge of being flooded to construct a hydro-electric dam. Scared and confused about the future, the entire community’s only hope is with a church and its leaders who have promised to relocate them to a new housing development, a promised land. When ex-convict and religious skeptic Min-chul discovers that the church leaders are wanted criminals that are defrauding the flock, the town’s authorities ignore his claims and the villagers declare him possessed by the devil. Plagued by his reputation, Min-chul takes matters into his own hands to reveal the truth behind the corrupt ministry. Providing no hero or stable moral character, THE FAKE presents a divisive narrative, which questions whether organized religion is more harmful than the worst individual.