Based on master singer Cho Sang-hyun’s pansori rendition of Chunhyangga, Im Kwon-taek’s modern reimagining of one of Korea’s most familiar tales unfolds against the live sound of traditional performance. Each chapter of the narrative parallels the sung verses, weaving spoken dialogue into the musical structure—a bold formal experiment that moves fluidly between the conventions of pansori and the cinematic medium. To honor the original tale, in which the protagonists are 16, Im cast then-unknown high school students Yi Hyo-jeong and Cho Seung-woo in the leads, a daring choice that added freshness to the film. Widely regarded as one of Im Kwon-taek’s greatest works, it became the first Korean film invited to the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival.