MAIFF 2026  -

Retrospective of Ahn Sung-ki

People in the Slum

Online screening

Fiction

108

minutes

Content Warning:

About the Film

Director

Bae Chang-ho

Country

Korea

Year

1982

Program

Retrospective of Ahn Sung-ki

Curated by

MAiFF Programming Team

Description

Synopsis | In a poor neighborhood of Seoul, Myeong-suk struggles to raise her young son, Jun-il, on her own and marries Tae-seop, a small-time gangster, in hopes of surviving. Just as they begin to find stability with a modest corner shop, Ju-seok, Jun-il’s biological father, reappears after years away. Now a taxi driver with a troubled past, Ju-seok demands his place in their lives, while Tae-seop insists he truly loves Myeong-suk and wants to protect the family they have built. Caught between the wounds of the past and the fragile life she has made, Myeong-suk decides to leave everything behind for the sake of her son.

Watch Trailer
About the Director
Bae Chang-ho
Director
After graduating from university and working in a corporate job, Bae Chang-ho began to give concrete shape to his long-held dream of filmmaking in the late 1970s. His early works were shaped by both artistic ambition and the realities of making films within the commercial and social constraints of the time. Rather than following a single, fixed style, his films moved across different tones and subjects. Yet beneath that variety was a consistent warmth toward people and the world around them. His cinema often looked at youth, love, social pressure, separation, desire, and the search for dignity with an affectionate and humane gaze. Through popular storytelling, he sought to restore trust in Korean cinema and reach audiences without losing sight of human vulnerability.
Film Stills
No items found.

Awards & Festival Recognition

Press & Articles