Director Jang Sun-woo's film "Lies" is returning to theaters after 27 years.
Set for release on November 11, "Lies: 4K Uncensored Complete Edition" revives the history of debates sparked across the boundaries of literature and film, art and society over a single work.
The controversy dates back to 1996. Shortly after its publication, the novel "Lies" (published in Korean as "Tell Me Lies"), which sparked fierce debate over its explicit sexual depictions, was ruled an obscene book by the Public Performance and Ethics Committee that year, leading to a prosecution investigation.
Amid growing social debate over the permissible limits of expression in literary works, author Jang Jung-il was sentenced to 10 months in prison and taken into legal custody in 1997 on charges of producing obscene literature. The clash between the literary value of the work and its social harmfulness left Korean society with profound questions regarding freedom of creation and the regulation of expression.
The controversy did not stop at the novel. When Director Jang Sun-woo adapted the original work into a film, the taboos surrounding it entered a new phase. Invited to the competition section of the 1996 Venice International Film Festival (Note: released in 1999 as per context), "Lies" made its name on the international stage, but faced rating withholding and editing controversies ahead of its domestic release. From enduring two rating withholdings to finally theatrical release in 2000 with a censored version, the controversy that began with the novel was repeated in the visual medium.
The process that a single work went through across different media and censorship standards remains a symbolic case showing how the South Korean society of that era viewed the limits of artistic expression.
Through this uncensored theatrical re-release, "Lies" poses the unresolved questions of that era once again. Attention focuses on how today's audiences will answer questions such as "To what extent can art depicting desire be permitted?" and "How is a work that stood at the center of controversy by the standards of its time re-read as time passes?"
Ahead of the release, a Tumblbug crowdfunding project is also underway for a special encounter with the audience. Running until October 22, the project consists of rewards including tickets to a premier screening ahead of the theatrical release of "Lies: 4K Uncensored Complete Edition," special uncensored complete edition posters, and special group viewing rewards allowing people to watch the film together in desired regions.
Crossing the boundaries of taboos, the controversial work "Lies: 4K Uncensored Complete Edition" has been confirmed for a restricted-to-adults rating and will be released in theaters nationwide on November 11.
(Photo: Yonhap News) (SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
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