Choon-hee, who makes a living filming wedding videos, dreams of becoming a screenwriter. One day, Cheol-soo, on his final military leave, barges into her home, demanding to know the whereabouts of his girlfriend. Thus begins a brief cohabitation between the two who couldn’t be more different. And yet, they share one thing in common: both are failures in love. Together, they begin writing a screenplay infused with their unfulfilled longings. Art Museum by the Zoo remains one of the most beloved works of Korean melodrama, ironically because of its steadfast embrace of the ordinary. Without relying on artificial plot devices, exaggerated performances, or melodramatic sentimentality, the film proves—most preciously—that an entire world can be imbued with love through the simplest of means. Above all, it would be impossible to speak of the film’s achievements without mentioning Shim Eun-ha, whose luminous face and unaffected performance as Choon-hee form the heart of the story. Four years later, director Lee Jeong-hyang would ignite a cultural phenomenon with The Way Home (2002), the tale of a grandmother and her grandson. Art Museum by the Zoo is the director’s feature debut.
