BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE

BONG JOON-HO | SOUTH KOREA | 2000 | 110 MIN | NR | KOREAN

The themes that would go on to define Bong Joon-ho’s later masterpieces were already firmly established in his debut, a black comedy about down-on-his-luck aspiring professor Yun-ju (Lee Sung-jae) and his attempts to reconcile his fraught marriage and deal with a pesky pooch that doesn’t seem to stop barking. Meanwhile, Hyun-nam (Bae Doona, Cloud Atlas) daydreams of being a local hero despite her dreary desk job. Their paths cross unexpectedly when the yapping Shih Tzu goes missing, and madness ensues. Exploring the dramatic irony and humor in living at the bottom of the totem pole, Barking Dogs Never Bite is an unforgettable, tonally unpredictable start to Bong’s wondrous career.

Cast: Lee Sung-jae, Bae Doona, Kim Ho-jung, Byun Hee-bong

“Beautifully directed, unsentimental and darkly funny.” –Time Out

Part of the Philadelphia Film Society’s BONG JOON-HO: BEFORE PARASITE series. CLICK HERE to purchase the entire series at a discounted rate.