ReFocus: The Films of Yim Soon-rye

Korean cinema, though currently established as one of the most successful international film industries, has never been a fair ground for women filmmakers. Amidst the heavily male dominated Korean cinema and the film industry, Yim has consistently produced critically and commercially influential films and has been recognized at numerous film festivals/awards both in and outside of Korea. Yim has produced/directed over a dozen films including shorts – the highest number that any female director has ever achieved in Korea. Also, Yim is the only female director with a blockbuster (Gyoseop, 2023) under her belt, which was always considered to be the arena for male directors. ReFocus: The Films of Yim Soon-rye will be the very first English-language book that showcases critical readings of Yim’s work and simultaneously, this volume will address and position Yim in the larger historical context of Korean cinema and women filmmakers in the world.