A Single Spark

A Single Spark

One boy... one flame... and a world is changed forever.

1995 · 92 min · ★ 7.1 · Drama

Activist and law school graduate Kim is being persecuted by the mid-’70s Park regime for trying to write a book about Jeon Tae-il, a union activist who immolated himself at age 22 to protest government hypocrisy.

Directed by Park Kwang-su · Written by Kim Jung-hwan

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 12m together

A Single Spark

To the Starry Island

Both from Park Kwang-su.

More from Park Kwang-suSee all →

Lee Jang-ho's Baseball TeamLee Jang-ho's Baseball Team · 1986
Lee Jang-ho's Baseball Team
★ 7.31986
MovieDrama
Hye-sung grew up poor but he has a gifted talent for baseball. Eom-ji has watched over him since they were young. Hye-sung falls in love with Eom-ji but when she transfers to another school, they don't see each other for years. Hye-sung and Eom-ji meet again at a baseball field but Um-ji is now the girlfriend of the exceptional hitter of high school, Ma Dong-tak. Hye-sung competes endlessly with Dong-tak over Eom-ji. But he ends up with a serious shoulder injury and gives up baseball. Then Manager Sohn Byung-ho gathers up dismissed baseball players and forms a team. Manager Sohn puts his team through extreme training and Hye-sung returns to the baseball world. He competes once more with Dong-tak, who is by Eom-ji's side.
To the Starry IslandTo the Starry Island · 1993
To the Starry Island
★ 7.21993
MovieFantasyDrama
Two men have returned to their hometown (the titular island) from Seoul to bury the father of one of them, but the islanders vehemently refuse their request, triggering memories of their childhood before and during the Korean War.
Chilsu and MansuChilsu and Mansu · 1988
Chilsu and Mansu
★ 7.01988
MovieDramaComedy
An aimless young man and his sign-painter friend draw a crowd when they climb to the top of a high-rise billboard.
Black RepublicBlack Republic · 1990
Black Republic
★ 6.51990
MovieDrama
A social drama about a young student activist who hides from the authorities by working in a small mining town.
If You Were MeIf You Were Me · 2003
If You Were Me
★ 6.02003
MovieDrama
Anthology film of six shorts by leading Korean directors. Park Chan-Wook, tackles racial prejudice and the economic exploitation of immigrant workers through the real-life story of a Nepalese woman in Korea. Jeong Jae-Eun, tackles the plight of a paedophile released into the community. Yeo Gyun-Dong, invites disabled actor Kim Moon-Joo to re-enact his most famous protest. Im Soon-Rye, goes for the engrained sexism of Korean men with superb wit and, Park Jin-Pyo, confronts the horror of children forced into oral surgery to improve their English-speaking ability.
Wild AnimalsWild Animals · 1997
Wild Animals
★ 5.81997
MovieCrimeDrama
Two Korean ex-pats in Paris are recruited by a French mobster. The duo find themselves at war with their mobster recruiters and each other.
The UprisingThe Uprising · 1999
The Uprising
★ 5.01999
MovieDramaHistory
In the late 19th century Catholicism was gaining a foothold on Jeju island, much to the horror of the Confucian community, who were seeing their influence diminishing as well as getting increased taxes from Catholic-friendly government officers. The conflict became a religious war that resulted in a rebel Confucian army massacring hundreds of Christians in little more than a matter of days. The Uprising details the events leading up to the assault, focusing on the story of Yi Jae-su, the young man destined to become the leader of the rebel army.
Meet Mr. DaddyMeet Mr. Daddy · 2007
Meet Mr. Daddy
★ 4.62007
MovieDrama
A little girl is reunited with her reluctant small-time criminal father. Jong Dae is a lowlife conman and gangster who lives in a old trailer in a junkyard by the sea. Not exactly ideal father material. He is (understandably) shocked when, while in jail yet again, a social worker visits to inform him that he has a seven year old daughter called Joon (Seo Shin Ae) who has been living in an orphanage and is on her way to America to be adopted. Little Joon desperately wants to meet her daddy before she leaves.
Berlin ReportBerlin Report · 1991
Berlin Report
★ 4.01991
MovieDrama
A reporter investigates a case in which a Korean woman, who has been living in Europe since she was 3 years old, is accused of murdering her adopted father. This is complicated by the fact that she is suffering from traumatic memory loss.
Black RepublicBlack Republic · 2026
Black Republic
2026
Movie
Three pickpockets, led by So-hoon, make a living from petty theft and loafing around the streets. One day, So-hoon runs into Neung-han, an old college friend who, upon learning of the group's precarious situation, decides to help them. However, the three young men come up with a plan to play a prank on him.
Street of the BlindStreet of the Blind · 1982
Street of the Blind
1982
Movie
A short film made by Park Kwang-su during his time at the Seoul Film Collective.
Face ValueFace Value · 2003
Face Value
2003
MovieDrama
Depicts work settings where job applicants are evaluated by their physical appearance in looks-obsessed Korean society.
The IslandThe Island · 1981
The Island
1981
MovieDrama
The movie starts as a "film inside a film", that shows the clash between a father and his two sons. While the older one, Hong-jun, tries to understand and get closer to his dad, because of a past mistake, the younger one, Man-ho, wanders aimlessly, incapable of accepting or comprehending his actions. As time passes, Hong-jun notices that the story he is filming mirrors his brother's reality.

More Like This

GandhiGandhi · 1982
Gandhi
★ 7.61982
MovieDramaHistory
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive resistance', endeavouring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed.
Edge of DarknessEdge of Darkness · 2010
Edge of Darkness
★ 6.52010
MovieCrimeDrama
As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma's killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma's own mysterious life.
All That's Left of YouAll That's Left of You · 2025
All That's Left of You
★ 8.02025
MovieDrama
After a Palestinian teen gets swept up into a West Bank protest, his mother recounts the family story of hope, courage and relentless struggle that led to this fateful moment.
The Secret Life of WordsThe Secret Life of Words · 2005
The Secret Life of Words
★ 7.02005
MovieRomanceDrama
A solitary nurse bonds with a badly burned patient who survived an accident on an oil rig.
ArielAriel · 1988
Ariel
★ 7.11988
MovieDramaRomance
A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.
Dancer in the DarkDancer in the Dark · 2000
Dancer in the Dark
★ 7.82000
MovieDramaCrime
Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her young son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life becomes increasingly difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.
Across the UniverseAcross the Universe · 2007
Across the Universe
★ 7.12007
MovieDramaRomance
When young dockworker Jude leaves Liverpool to find his estranged father in the United States, he is swept up by the waves of change that are re-shaping the nation. Jude falls in love with Lucy, who joins the growing anti-war movement. As the body count in Vietnam rises, political tensions at home spiral out of control and the star-crossed lovers find themselves in a psychedelic world gone mad.
Kinky BootsKinky Boots · 2005
Kinky Boots
★ 6.72005
MovieComedyDrama
Charles Price may have grown up with his father in the family shoe business in Northampton, central England, but he never thought that he would take his father's place. Charles has a chance encounter with the flamboyant drag queen cabaret singer Lola and everything changes.
StanderStander · 2003
Stander
★ 6.22003
MovieActionCrime
The life and career of Andre Stander, a South African police officer turned bank robber.
The Life of David GaleThe Life of David Gale · 2003
The Life of David Gale
★ 7.42003
MovieDramaThriller
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
Quo VadisQuo Vadis · 1951
Quo Vadis
★ 7.11951
MovieDramaHistory
After fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.
Battle in SeattleBattle in Seattle · 2007
Battle in Seattle
★ 6.32007
MovieActionDrama
Thousands of activists arrive in Seattle, Washington in masses to protest the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 (World Trade Organization). Although it began as a peaceful protest with a goal of stopping the WTO talks, it escalated into a full-scale riot and eventually, a State of Emergency that pitted protesters against the Seattle Police Department and the National Guard.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter