Pavane for a Dead Princess

It's no secret South Korea is beauty-obsessed. It's a haven for plastic surgeons and an increasingly popular destination for those seeking the latest in all sorts of procedures to render beauty seekers unrecognizable beside their "before" photos.

This reality is the territory Park Min-gyu plumbs in Pavane for a Dead Princess, and he uses the country's newfound obsession with beauty – especially Western notions of beauty – to explore the massive shift in cultural values brought on by rapid modernization. This critique is necessary for a country reported to have the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world.