Birth

Jay, a promising young writer, is publishing her new book, while her boyfriend Geonwoo, who teaches at a private language school, is tipped for promotion. They love each other, take care of each other, and have a great rapport. Until an unplanned pregnancy throws them off course. They didn’t want a child and starting a family would jeopardise their career prospects. Yet who’s to have the last word if they can’t agree on a solution to the situation? The Korean director presents a tale eclipsed by a sense of dejection in a subtle portrayal of a couple arriving at a crossroads in their life together. When else should one break the taboos of parenthood and the preconceptions of motherhood than when a woman’s right to decide what happens to her own body is again called into question. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)