Netflix series 'Aema' revisits Korea's legendary erotic film of 1980s

“Madame Aema,” the 1982 film widely regarded as the beginning of Korea’s erotic cinema boom in the 1980s, has been reimagined for the 21st century. During the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan, the government implemented the so-called “3S Policy” — screen, sports and sex — aimed at pacifying the public and diverting attention away from politics, which created the conditions for a rapid boom in the erotic film industry. The Netflix drama “Aema,” to be released Friday, tells the fraught journey of top star Hee-ran (Lee Ha-nee) and rookie actor Joo-ae (Bang Hyo-rin), who bravely confront the dark realities hidden behind the dazzling spotlight of that time in the process of bringing “Madame Aema” to life. “In the early 1980s, erotic films were actively encouraged and produced as a matter of policy. Ironically, there was also strict censorship and rampant cuts, meaning there was virtually no freedom of expression. By revisiting this irony from today’s perspective, I thought I could reinterpret it in 2025 and explore its meaning in a way that delivers a new message,Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times