Broken Branches

The first 'gay movie' ever made in Korea, a country more homophobic than most, spans the years from 1955 to the present, rhyming the country's social and political changes with the fortunes of one extended family. Each of the three chapters marks a phase in the breakdown of the traditional Confucian-patriarchal family; the tone gradually shifts from tragedy to comedy. Most attention has been focused on the third chapter, in which the narrator comes out as gay and describes the joys and miseries of his affair with a married man. Let down by some dodgy performances in minor roles and some spasms of melodrama, but the overall scope is impressive for an indie feature - and the candour and sincerity are piercing.