Translating Grace 1996

Directed by Anita Lee

An innovative drama that explores the unique relationship between two Korean-Canadian women. Grace, a second generation feminist academic, and Hyang-Sook, a recent immigrant from Korea. Grace is the translator for Hyang-Sook's immigration interviews and finds herself facing a moral dilemma-- is translating a lie an act of lying itself? The conflict is played out in Grace's psychic lanbdscape. In a role as a kiseang, a female court prostitute of 15th century Korea, she finds herself engaged in a mysterious poetry (sijo) competition with Hyan Sook dressed as a nobleman. The structure of the film incorporates elements of Korean performance art and popular Korean melodrama.