Directed by Ermek Shinarbaev • 1989 • Soviet Union
A child is raised in Korea to avenge the death of his father’s first child in this decades-spanning tale of obsession and violence, the third collaboration between director Ermek Shinarbaev and writer Anatoli Kim. A study of everyday evil infused with philosophy and poetry, this haunting allegory was the first Soviet film to look at the Korean diaspora in central Asia, and a founding work of the Kazakh New Wave. Rigorous and complex, REVENGE weaves luminous imagery with inventive narrative elements in an unforgettable meditation on the way trauma is passed down through generations.
Restored in 2010 by the Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in association with The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, the Kazakhfilm Studio, the State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Ermek Shinarbaev. Restoration funded by Armani, Cartier, Qatar Airways, and Qatar Museum Authority.
Up Next in 30 Years of The Film Foundation
-
The Housemaid
Directed by Kim Ki-young • 1960 • South Korea
A torrent of sexual obsession, revenge, and betrayal is unleashed under one roof in this venomous melodrama from South Korean master Kim Ki-young. Immensely popular in its home country when it was released, THE HOUSEMAID is the thrilling, at times ...
-
EIGHT DEADLY SHOTS: Part 1
Directed by Mikko Niskanen • 1972 • Finland
Starring Mikko Niskanen, Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala, Paavo PentikäinenNewly restored by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project, this long-unsung Finnish classic has been hailed by Aki Kaurismäki as “one of the masterpieces of European Cinema.” A relentles...
-
EIGHT DEADLY SHOTS: Part 2
Directed by Mikko Niskanen • 1972 • Finland
Starring Mikko Niskanen, Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala, Paavo PentikäinenNewly restored by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project, this long-unsung Finnish classic has been hailed by Aki Kaurismäki as “one of the masterpieces of European Cinema.” A relentles...
