"Come, Come, Come Upward reworks the director's earlier Mandala (1981) from a female perspective. It tells the story of a young woman who, at age sixteen, already finds herself at odds with the possibility of a happy life. After being expelled from school, she enters a Buddhist temple to become a nun. But this new situation provides only temporary respite from a cycle of misfortunes and tribulations. Her journey, filled with beliefs, doubts and wanderings, is actually a spiritual quest, an important theme for Im Kwon-taek. Just as Rossellini, the non-believer, questioned Italian Catholicism, Im Kwon-taek, a non-Buddhist, explores the influence of Buddhism on his society. In the process, we discover an unusual and still unknown country. Kang Soo-yeon, the remarkable actress of Surrogate Mother (SFIFF '88), won accolades including Best Actress at the Moscow Film Festival for this latest performance." --Marie-Pierre Macia, San Francisco International Film Festial '90