MAIFF 2026  -

KFFC

Whale Hunting

Online screening

Fiction

112

minutes

Content Warning:

About the Film

Director

Bae Chang-ho

Country

Korea

Year

1984

Program

Retrospective of Ahn Sung-ki

Curated by

MAiFF Programming Team

Description

Synopsis | Shy and timid Byeong-tae runs away from home after his failed attempt to win over Mi-ran, the college student he has long admired. Wandering the city in search of a vague sense of freedom, he gets caught up in an unfortunate incident and ends up at a police station, where he meets Min-woo, a ragged drifter who seems unbound by the rules of society. As the two roam the city together, they encounter Chun-ja, a mute woman trapped in a world of violence and exploitation. With Min-woo’s help, Byeong-tae decides to rescue her and take her back to her hometown, hoping to help her recover both her lost voice and her place in the world. With no money and no real plan, the three set out on a difficult journey, pursued by danger but sustained by friendship, compassion, and a growing desire for freedom.

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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.
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Awards & Festival Recognition

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