CAAMFest 2013 Reviews: Lee Isaac Chung's 'Abigail Harm'
Amanda Plummer in Abigail Harm.
Lee Isaac Chung's surreal fable Abigail Harm [1] follows the eponymous character (Amanda Plummer of Pulp Fiction fame), a reader to the blind who is struggling to deal with her father's declining health. Fascinated by the Korean folktale of the woodcutter and the nymph, Abigail is suddenly visited by a mysterious, injured man (veteran character actor Will Patton) in her New York City apartment. For her generosity in aiding him, he rewards her by showing her a location where she can find an otherworldly being (Tetsuo
Kuramochi) to love her. The film has minimal dialogue, so those expecting a traditional narrative should be forewarned. However, viewers who want a more conceptual film-going experience will enjoy the abstract re-telling of the Korean folktale and its exploration of accepting and releasing love.
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Abigail Harm screens on March 17 at 7:00 pm [2] and March 18 at 6:15 pm [3] at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas [4] and on March 19 at 8:30 pm [5] at New People [6].
Check out all of Hyphen's CAAMFest 2013 [7] reviews.