A Girl at My Door
| A Girl at My Door | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | July Jung |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | July Jung |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Kim Hyun-seok |
| Edited by | Lee Young-lim |
| Distributed by | |
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Release date
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Running time
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119 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Budget | US$300,000 |
| Box office | US$569,809 |
A Girl at My Door (Hangul: 도희야; RR: Dohui-ya) is a 2014 South Korean drama film directed by July Jung and stars Bae Doona as a policewoman who takes in an abused girl played by Kim Sae-ron. The film screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Due to the film's portrayal of a lesbian relationship, and the contentiousness of LGBT rights in South Korea, as well as the initial ambiguous relationship of the two main characters, the film had to be financed largely by the Korean Film Council. Because of this, the budget was limited to US$300,000 and Bae and Kim agreed to not be paid.
Following a personal scandal, police academy instructor Lee Young-nam is transferred from Seoul to take office as chief of the police substation in a quiet seaside town in Yeosu. Young-nam keeps a low profile and tolerates the drunken excesses of the locals, but drinks heavily at home, decanting soju into water bottles.
Young-nam meets Sun Do-hee, a timid and withdrawn 14-year-old girl covered with cuts and bruises. Do-hee is bullied by classmates and beaten by her drunk stepfather Yong-ha; her mother abandoned them. The locals keep quiet about Yong-ha's injustices as he is the town's main employer, an oyster farmer.
After the body of Yong-ha's mother is found floating in the water, ruled an accidental death caused by drunk driving, Yong-ha attacks Do-hee again. Concerned for Do-hee's safety, Young-nam offers to let her stay with her during the summer vacation, despite scrutiny from the villagers. For the first time, Do-hee has someone who does not hit her and who calls her by her name instead of swearing at her. Do-hee bathes with Young-nam and imitates her, wearing her uniform and cutting her hair in the same style.
Young-nam is tracked to Yeosu by her ex-girlfriend, who asks her to move to Australia with her. They argue and kiss, and are seen by Yong-ha. When Young-nam discovers that he employs underpaid illegal immigrants, Yong-ha tells the police that Young-nam sexually abused Do-hee. Young-nam is taken into custody. She states she had no improper contact with Do-hee and that taking in an abused child was her duty; the investigator responds that this was inappropriate behavior for a gay woman. Do-hee tells the investigator that Young-nam sexually abused her, and Young-nam is imprisoned. Do-hee is returned to the care of her father and given a number to call if her father beats her again.
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