The star of Bongja, Suh Gap-Sook, once claimed, "sometimes to have desires of starring in a porno film." With implicit lesbian tensions along with other risque elements, the star seems to have gotten her wish. But this is not an average sexual drama, but an outstanding human drama. According to the director, the roots of Bongja started on the basis of a question: "What must happen to create a stir in the life of woman so naive that she seems dumb?" Such a ′dumb′ woman is 36 year-old Bongja. She makes her living and finds her meaning in life by making sushi rolls, but gets fired from the sushi shop for her constant drinking of rice wine. That very night, Bongja discovers an unknown teenaged girl sleeping in her house. Soon her everyday life is filled with brand new experiences. Previously held back by sushi and liquor, Bongja′s raging desires came undone, as the girl′s painful hidden past is unveiled piece by piece as well. At the terminus of their prolonged encounters lies the shedding of their mournful tears, as if to suggest that human beings are bound to be such sad creatures. As a veteran director, Park Chul-Soo proves in Bongja, the traditional elements constituting the essential qualities of cinema do remain unchanged, even in this convenient digital age. His volition to make the city of Daejon a next Mecca for independent cinema also needs to be appraised, as he shot this film in its entirety on-location there. (Han Sang-Jun)