"The story of a young widow movingly examines the problems of widowhood and readjustment to life in a small Korean town. Director Sooyong Kim handles his sometimes melodramatic subject matter with aplomb. He is adept at creating moods through his beautiful black and white cinematography; and his keen eye for natural scenery, local incident and detail make Gaetmaul a lively and satisfying example of the dramatic genre film. Sooyong Kim began his film career in 1957. His most active period was in the 1960s. To date he has made over 100 films." Asia Society