Pascha

Is it acceptable for a forty-something woman to be in a relationship with 17-year-old boy? The idea of love between two people with such an age gap and the social exclusion that it can bring is the subject of Pascha. Gaeul is a 40-year-old screenwriter who lives with 17-year-old Joseph and their cats. The families of the two lovers cannot comprehend the relationship. Gaeul's family are especially baffled by every aspect of her life; raising a cat and living off of vegetables, let alone having a 17-year-old lover! Gaeul's family see her as the family's dirty little secret. More and more obstacles from society are placed between the lovers and their happy ever after; poverty, death, opposition against vegetarianism and the couple's pregnancy. Can a love like this survive no matter the odds in today's society?

Directed by Ahn Seon-kyoung, Pascha leans on a strong ensemble — Kim So-hee, Sung Ho-jun, Byun Joong-hee — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2015.