''Art Museum by the Zoo'' () is a 1998 South Korean film written and directed by

Lee Jeong-hyang Lee Jeong-hyang (; born April 13, 1964) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. She is best known for ''The Way Home (2002 film), The Way Home'' (2002), a film she wrote and directed which won her Best Film and Best Original Screenplay ...

Plot

On leave from the military, Cheol-soo arrives at his girlfriend's apartment only to find it occupied by another woman, Choon-hee. After a few days he finds out that his girlfriend is now engaged to someone else, and having nowhere else to go he ends up staying with Choon-hee. At first the two struggle to get along, but before long Chul-soo discovers that she is writing a screenplay to enter into a competition, and they end up working on a story together based on their own experiences of love, titling it "Art Museum by the Zoo."

Cast

Shim Eun-ha Shim Eun-ha (; born September 23, 1972) is a retired South Korean actress. She is widely regarded as one of the early figures associated with the title "Nation's First Love" due to her portrayals of pure and emotionally resonant characters in f ...

... Choon-hee *

Lee Sung-jae Lee Sung-jae (; born August 23, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Among his notable works include the films ''Art Museum by the Zoo'' (1998), ''Attack the Gas Station'' (1999), ''Kick the Moon'' (2001), and ''Public Enemy (2002 film), Public Enemy ...

... Cheol-soo *

Ahn Sung-ki Ahn Sung-ki (; born January 1, 1952) is a South Korean actor. One of the country's most respected actors, he has appeared in more than 130 films during his career of over 60 years. He received Bog-wan Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 Culture Day. ...

... In-gong *

Song Seon-mi Song Seon-mi (; born 13 September 1974) is a South Korean actress. Career Song won second place at the Super Elite Model Contest in 1996, then transitioned from a modeling career to acting a year later in the television drama ''Model'' (1997). ...

... Da-hye

Reception

''Art Museum by the Zoo'' was released in South Korea on December 19, 1998, drawing a then-impressive 412,472 viewers in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

alone, making it the fifth best-selling Korean film of 1998. In 1999,

won Best Actress at the

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 ...

, and

swept Best New Actor awards at the

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

, the

Chunsa Film Art Awards The Chunsa Film Art Awards (also known as the Icheon Chunsa Film Festival) have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Film Directors' Society in 1990. The awards take their name from the pen name of the earl ...

, the

and the

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 ...

. Director

was praised for her sophisticated and detailed direction, and the film is now considered a classic of 1990s Korean cinema.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0288621, Art Museum by the Zoo 1998 films South Korean romantic drama films Films about screenwriters Museums in popular culture 1990s Korean-language films 1990s South Korean films 1998 romantic drama films 1998 directorial debut films