Film: To Be Announced
Cuisine: Korean

Ordinarily, I choose the feature film for Chopstick Cinema each month based on research, recommendatons, reviews and sometimes from among my favorites in my video library. However, this month, I have three Korean films in mind, none of which I’ve seen. So I’m going to watch them all in the next few days and choose the one I like best. Here are the Netflix synopses:

Three Iron: This moving film, written and directed by Kim Ki-Duk and starring Lee Seung-yun and Jae Hee, makes its North American debut at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. A study of impermanence and despair, it tracks how a homeless man attempts to find solace and sanctuary in vacation houses left empty by their owners in between visits. Although he may have a roof over his head during his stay, the fleeting nature of security continues to haunt him.

The Harmonium in My Memory: Burdened with a serious crush on her young homeroom teacher, 17-year-old Hong-yeon spends her spare time writing furtively in her notebook — an assignment from the object of her affection. But when he begins eyeing up an older colleague, Hong-yeon finds her heart broken as one point of a jagged love triangle. Jeon Do-yeon , Byung-Hun Lee and Lee Mi-yeon co-star in this moving exploration of first love.

The Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors: Director Sang-soo Hong dishes up a fresh take on modern courtship in this episodic tale that follows the evolution of a romance between TV writer Soo-jung(Eun-ju Lee) and affluent art gallery owner Jae-hoon (Bo-seok Jeong). Mutually attracted after meeting at an art exhibition, Soo-jung and Jae-hoon find their dalliance derailed when, on the verge of a sexual encounter, Soo-jung admits to being a virgin. Will Jae-hoon eventually deflower her?

Send me a pair of chopsticks. Click here for details.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema’s monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com