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Shaman Road

Choi Sang-jin
South Korea, 2018, 105 min.

In Korean / French with English subtitles.
This film is family friendly.

The friendship between a French shaman, Colette, and a Korean shaman, Sung-mi. Colette and Sung-mi wanted to live normal lives like any other women, but they couldn't because of visions from deities which they have experienced since they were young. They thought this was their divine punishments. After meeting each other at the International Shamanism Festival, Colette and Sung-mi realized that their special abilities could be something meaningful: they are gifts given from God to comfort and soothe the pain of other people. Finally, Colette and Sung-mi accepted their fates as shamans and began their spiritual journey.

Director's Statement

Before I went to France in 2014 to film the documentary film Dances with the Wind, Colette and Sung-mi were strangers to me. Our production team were filming various events of the Festival. Then, we captured a western woman on camera. Colette looked like an ordinary middle-aged lady. But we were drawn to the sorrowful and intense emotions she exuded. Colette was looking at a Korean female shaman Sung-mi's performance. That is how Shaman Road began. While filming the lives and friendship of Colette and Sung-mi for 4 years, I wondered who decides on the fate of humans, and asked myself if God does really exist? If God exists, what kind of a message is God trying to deliver to us through shamans? I want to share my thoughts with everyone.

Category: Documentary.
Themes: Religion, Relationships, Women, World Cinema.