''A Petal'' () is a 1996 South Korean film directed by

Jang Sun-woo Jang Sun-woo (born 20 March 1952) is a South Korean film director. Life Jang attended Seoul National University and received a bachelor's degree in anthropology. Before his directorial debut, Jang made a name for himself by writing film critic ...

Plot

The film tells the story of a girl who experienced the

Gwangju Uprising The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (Ma ...

at the age of 15, and its effect on her life in later years.

Cast

Lee Jung-hyun Lee Jung-hyun (born February 7, 1980), also known by her occasional stage name Ava, is a South Korean pop singer and actress. She was first recognized for her acting abilities with award-winning role in her first film and has been solidified as ...

as Girl * Moon Sung-keun as Jang * Sol Kyung-gu *

Chu Sang-mi Chu Sang-mi (born 9 May 1972) is a South Korean actress. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, to the popular stage actor Chu Song-woong. Along with Lee Byung-hun and Choi Ji-woo, Chu co-starred in the film ''Everybody Has Secrets'', taking the role ...

* Park Chul-min * Park Kwang-jung * Lee Young-ran as Girl's Mother

Production

This film was a difficult job for 15-years old Lee Jung-hyun, who did not know acting. Director Sun-Woo Jang was furious on the first day of shooting. "At first I wasn't good at acting, so the director threw away the script and stopped shooting. I took it myself and I cried for a long time in the dormitory. Then I woke up. 'Then I have to live like a crazy child,' I thought. Because if I can't act, I simply have no choice but to become that kind of person." So she began wandering around the neighborhood for three or four hours before the shoots. People in the neighborhood thought she was a really crazy child and took her home to wash and feed her. "There was no line between everyday life and acting. It was an ignorant approach. (laughs). The director and Sol Kyung-gu looked at me that way and said, 'Tomorrow is the last shoot, but what if she goes crazy even after she's done?'"

Awards

* Asia Pacific Film Festival (1997) Best FilmAwards based on * Asia Pacific Film Festival (1996) Best Film * Bangkok International Film Festival (1998) Jury Award Best Feature Film - Asian Cinema *

Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival The Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival (german: Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg), often referred to by the German-language initialism IFFMH, is an annual film festival established in 1952 hosted jointly by the citi ...

(1996) Prize of the Ecumenical Jury ''and'' Special Mention (

) * Rotterdam International Film Festival (1997) KNF Award - Special Mention (

) *

Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...

(1996) Best Actor ( Moon Sung-keun) *

(1996) Best New Actress (

) *

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

(1996) Best New Actress (

) *

Korean Association of Film Critics Awards The Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (), also known as the Critics Choice Awards (), is an annual awards ceremony for excellence in film in South Korea. It was established in 1980 by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC). The c ...

(1996) Best New Actress (

) * Cine 21 Film Awards (1997) Best New Actress (

)

Notes

Bibliography

* * * 1996 films 1990s Korean-language films South Korean historical drama films Films about the Gwangju Uprising Films directed by Jang Sun-woo {{SouthKorea-film-stub