SouthKorea,1998.Whilethecountrymovesclosertowardsdemocracy,Young-oakremainsatoddswithhisfemale-connotatednamewhileattendingaboy’sschoolwheretheairisthickwithtestosterone.Theyoungmanisstrugglingtofitinandfindanewnameamongcorruptteachersandtheteenagers’violentpowergames,whichareassubtleastheyareextreme.BehindhismotherJeong-sun’sseeminglyunflappableexterior,apastlongrepressedisreemerging,whichsheisreluctanttoface.Yetconfrontationisunavoidable–anditleadsbacktothenationaltragedysurroundingtheJejuUprisingofApril3,1948.Withsuspenseeffectsandaformofreenactmentwhichdistortsthemeaningoftheimages,SouthKorea’sleft-wingdirectorialiconChungJi-youngchannelstheviolentstateofhiscountry(pastandpresent)intoanidentitydrama.Atdifferentpointsinlife,motherandsonarebothlookingfortheirplacewithinasocietyoftaboosandfixedroles.Traumascometothesurface,thesilencedandtherepressed.Attheendisthedocumentaryimageofamonument–asasignofpoliticaltopicality.