Showtimes
Sunday, November 16
3:00pm
Ticketing
$12 /Single Ticket
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Don’t miss the final film in our 50th Anniversary series: 5 Films / 5 Decades / 5 Critics, Lee Chang-Dong’s Cannes Award-winning drama, Poetry (2010), featuring a post-screening discussion with Michael Phillips and Charles Coleman.
In the midst of family chaos and declining health, Mija (Yoon Jeong-hee in her final and stunning performance) discovers her inner strength and independence through a poetry class in this poignant, Cannes Award-winning drama from director Lee Chang-Dong.
Mija (Yun Jung-hee), a kind-hearted woman in her sixties, is caring for her troubled teenage grandson, Jong-wook, while her daughter works in far-off Busan, and is in denial about the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. She begins taking a poetry class at the local cultural center, and at first, finds solace in the beauty of nature, but when her grandson becomes embroiled in a shocking scandal, Mija confronts deep emotions of pain and betrayal.
Director Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine, Burning), known for his films about working-class characters and subtle social critique, is justifiably celebrated for his literary approaches to cinema (he is also a novelist, playwright, and screenwriter), marked by meticulous screenplays, intricate character portraits and the use of irony. Many of his characters are pushed to emotional extremes, grappling with deep tragedy and isolation, and in Poetry, he masterfully juxtaposes the capacity for beauty with the darkness that exists in humanity. The title of the film not only reflects Mija’s personal quest for artistic expression, but also Lee’s broader approach to filmmaking, using observant, empathetic storytelling to delve into the complexities of daily life, devoted to examining social and historical problems, realistically presented. Lee Chang-Dong believes that empathizing with the pain of others is the starting point for every writer and artist.
In Korean with English subtitles
Lee Chang-Dong, South Korea/France, 2010, 4K DCP, 139 mins.
IN CONVERSATION
After the screening join our Film Program Director, Charles Coleman, and film critic Michael Phillips for a post-screening conversation and audience Q&A.
Michael Phillips – Critic Michael Phillips wrote and worked as arts editor for the University of Minnesota’s college publication, the Minnesota Daily, where the best thing that came by mail was the new Facets rental catalogue. Later: film critic and arts editor at the Twin Cities weekly City Pages. Then theater critic at the Dallas Times-Herald, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Los Angeles Times and, from 2002-2006, the Chicago Tribune. Until August 2025 he was the Tribune film critic. He pops up, and off, semi-regularly on the Filmspotting podcast, also heard on WBEZ-FM, and can be heard weekly on Classical WFMT-FM’s film music program “Soundtrack” He’s also the director of the University of Illinois College of Media Roger Ebert Fellowship, and since 2016 has been grateful to participate in the Venice Film Festival’s Biennale College Cinema program supporting first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world.
Charles Coleman – Host
Charles Coleman is the Film Program Director of the Facets Film Forum, which specializes in the presentation of new and classic foreign films, as well as independent cinema. He has taught film courses at the University of Chicago, and his experience also includes more than twenty years in film programming and related fields. He is responsible for bringing to Chicago rare, one-of-a-kind screenings, has curated a retrospective of acclaimed filmmakers, and seeks out the most recent films by up-and-coming directors. He has also given lectures at the Chicago Public Library and the Art Institute, keeps up on the latest trends, key filmmakers, as well as the newest developments from festivals and programs from around the world.
5 FILMS/5 DECADES/5 CRITICS
A new FACETS’ 50th Anniversary series curated by Charles Coleman and hosted by local film critics, “5 Films/5 Decades/5 Critics” digs through our 50-year history to present bold arthouse and independent gems that we’ve discovered and championed over the years.
