Sort of a distaff companion to his Mandala, this 1989 Korean drama by Im Kwon-taek chronicles the spiritual progress of two Buddhist nuns under the tutelage of a wise abbess. Kang Soo-yeon plays a novice who's been expelled from high school for a dalliance with her teacher; banished from the temple after saving a man from suicide, she follows him to a shanty town as his wife, but a series of misfortunes tests her faith in men and her desire to minister to the poor. Im contrasts her journey with that of another novice who pursues an ascetic existence, traveling to remote islands and caves while resisting earthly concerns (which include the infamous student crackdown in Kwangju). As in the earlier film Im sets up provocative dichotomies, yet he clearly values active caring over passive religiosity. (Source: Ted Shen, Chicago Reader)