Cosmopolitanism in the films of E J-Yong

E J-Yong's films are diverse, ranging from melodrama (An Affair, 1998) to musical comedy (Dasepo Naughty Girls, 2006); from historical drama (Untold Scandal, 2003) to mocumentary-style drama (Actresses, 2009), as well as a Korean-Japanese co-produced art-house film (Asako in Ruby Shoes, 2001), but what they share in common are cosmopolitanism and criticism of parochial nationalism. This paper explores palimpsestic characteristics that inscribe cosmopolitanism in E's films, addressing the intertextual dynamics with the source material, narrative structures, and the characters who travel abroad or aspire to go abroad.