Masquerade is directed by MUN Jeong-hyun whose previous piece on the history of the Korean War, earned much attention from the audience. It’s his fourth piece and a documentary which explores the story of a rape victim and her family, and it focuses on the issue of child sexual abuse. The key theme of the film revolves around the victims and their families, who are preparing a “Mask Play” as part of their therapy. It shows how LEE Myung-hwa, a teacher, finds an alterna...more

Masquerade is directed by MUN Jeong-hyun whose previous piece on the history of the Korean War, earned much attention from the audience. It’s his fourth piece and a documentary which explores the story of a rape victim and her family, and it focuses on the issue of child sexual abuse. The key theme of the film revolves around the victims and their families, who are preparing a “Mask Play” as part of their therapy. It shows how LEE Myung-hwa, a teacher, finds an alternative family in the process. The various testimonies of the victims’ family members in this film accentuate the grim reality of child sexual abuse. A mother, who sent her husband to jail to protect her daughter, is left to endure harsh social criticisms and care for her psychologically and physically impaired daughter, while her husband’s release date draws near. Trapped in a vicious cycle, it stresses that the problem of child sexual abuse is more than just a crime. What we know and learn, in this film and in our everyday lives, may only be the “tip of an iceberg”. In a society riddled with faults, how and in what form should we adopt a healthy sex culture?(HONG Hyosook)less