"Manok" at Korean Film Festival Barcelona

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Film still from "Manok" directed by Lee Yu-jin (South Korea, 2025).

Manok is a party—a comedy that reflects on important issues, but does so with a smile. Director Lee Yu-jin believes that after the pandemic, cinema has become a distant place, one that viewers no longer frequent. She wanted to make a lively, commercially viable queer comedy where friends, family, and couples could laugh and enjoy being together again.

Manok, a middle-aged lesbian who runs a lesbian bar in Seoul, sees her life take an unexpected turn when she receives news of her mother's death. Forced to temporarily close the bar, she returns to the town she left behind. But the return isn't easy: she finds a community where prejudice and discrimination are still deeply ingrained. And worse, among those who stand in her way is her ex-husband, the current town mayor. Determined to challenge the established order and transform the reality of Iban-ri, Manok takes an unexpected step and runs for mayor.

Director Lee Yu-jin intends for the film to make viewers reflect on how it's possible to live together, regardless of sexual orientation, whether in a country, a city, a town, or a home, while protecting the safety of others. But above all, she believes viewers will laugh at the situations she presents.

Film will be screened in original version with subtitles in Catalan (Sep 3) and Spanish (Sep 5).

A film in the 2026 edition of Korean Film Festival Barcelona.

September Film Festivals in Catalunya

As the summer winds down and all the fabulous music festivals come to an end, autumn's calendar fills up with some of Catalunya's most interesting and eclectic film festivals. Check out our article September Film Festivals in Catalunya where you'll find festivals celebrating B films, international indie films, young emerging Catalan talent and more.

October Film Festivals in and around Barcelona

October’s calendar is packed with an impressive list of film festivals in and around the city. Check out our article October Film Festivals in and around Barcelona where you'll find gritty investigative documentaries, hair-raising fantasy and horror flicks and everything in between!

For more events check our online events calendar.