Joseon-Era "Portrait of a Beauty" Revived in VR... Invited to Melbourne Film Festival

Fifteen Masterpieces by Shin Yunbok Featured in "Danjijeon"
Showcasing the Beauty of Korea through the Fusion of Traditional Arts and Cutting-edge Technology

The National Heritage Administration and the National Heritage Foundation announced on August 12 that the film "Danjijeon: The Story of the Portrait of a Beauty," produced using virtual reality (VR) technology, has been officially invited to the 73rd Melbourne International Film Festival.

A scene from the movie "Danjijeon"
[Photo by National Heritage Foundation]

The Melbourne International Film Festival, which began in 1952, is the largest film event in Australia. "Danjijeon: The Story of the Portrait of a Beauty" has been selected for the Extended Reality (XR) section. The film will be screened at the ACMI Swinburne Studio until August 17.

This film introduces fifteen works, including "Portrait of a Beauty" and "Lovers Under the Moon," which are considered masterpieces by late Joseon-era painter Shin Yunbok (1758??), as well as "Songjeong Gwanpok," "Gyemyeong Gokam," and "Songjeong Ahhoe." The story vividly depicts the journey of the protagonist Dani as she searches for true beauty, weaving in a love triangle involving the scholar Yi Saeng and the courtesan Chu Hui. In particular, the film brings the elegance of traditional Korean arts to life by incorporating traditional pansori and dance.

A scene from the movie "Danjijeon"
[Photo by National Heritage Foundation]

Professor Yoo Sanghyun of the Department of Art and Technology at Seokyeong University, who directed the film, said, "I wanted to express both the inner and outer beauty of women depicted in Joseon paintings through the new medium of VR." He added, "I am delighted to be able to introduce the beauty of Korea to the world by combining tradition and technology."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.