Ten Films Including Black Nuns, To Her, and Pagua Selected as This Year's Gender Equality Movies

"More Female Leads, But Few Opportunities for Women Directors"

Posters of the 10 films selected for the '2025 Bechdel Choice 10'. Korean Film Directors Association

The Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) announced the "2025 Bechdel Choice 10" on August 5, selecting ten notable Korean films of the year from the perspectives of gender equality and cultural diversity.

The selected films are: "Black Nuns" (Kwon Hyukjae), "To Her" (Lee Sangcheol), "About My Daughter" (Lee Mirang), "Lucky, Apartment" (Kang Yugaram), "Revolver" (Oh Seungwook), "Victory" (Park Beomsu), "Minimum Goodwill" (Kim Hyeonjeong), "Pagua" (Min Gyudong), "Hi-Five" (Kang Hyeongcheol), and "Because I Hate Korea" (Jang Geonjae).

Among these, seven films?including "Pagua," "Black Nuns," and "Hi-Five"?feature female protagonists in works directed by male directors.

Programmer Lee Hwajeong stated, "This year, there are a significant number of works in which male directors have placed female lead characters at the forefront." She added, "This can be interpreted as a sign that women are being recognized as the central figures in compelling narratives, regardless of gender." However, she emphasized, "Due to structural issues within the industry, there are still significant barriers to entry for female directors in commercial films, which remains a challenge to be addressed."

The selection process was based on the "Bechdel Test 7," which adds contemporary criteria to the three traditional Bechdel Test items. The criteria include whether there are at least two named female characters, whether their conversations include topics unrelated to men, and whether women filmmakers were involved among the main production staff. Additional factors considered were whether a woman is the sole protagonist, the depiction of sexual minorities and other minorities, and whether characters break away from stereotypes.

"Black Nuns" was recognized for expanding female subjectivity by positioning nuns as the main exorcists. "Pagua" and "Revolver" received high praise for subverting the noir genre from a female perspective. "Hi-Five" was noted for breaking the boundaries of gender and age within the superhero genre.

In the independent film sector, diverse female narratives also stood out. "To Her," which depicts the struggles of a mother with a disabled child, was evaluated as featuring a multidimensional character also dealing with career interruption. "Because I Hate Korea" and "Lucky, Apartment" shed light on social discrimination structures through the perspectives of young women. "About My Daughter," "Minimum Goodwill," and "Victory" were praised for re-examining society by focusing on relationships among women, depicting solidarity and intergenerational empathy among female characters.

The selected films were chosen from a total of 125 works released between June of last year and May of this year, including both theatrical releases and original content from online video services (OTT).

The "Bechdel Day 2025" event, featuring screenings of the "Bechdel Choice 10" and talk programs, will be held at KU Cinematheque on September 6 and 7.