My Paparotti (2013)

Profile

• Movie: My Paparotti (English title)
• Revised romanization: Paparoti
• Hangul: 파파로티

• Director: Yoon Jong-Chan
• Writer: Yoo Young-A, Lee Hae-Je
• Producer: Park Moo-Seung, Lee Suk-Won
• Cinematographer: Lee Chang-Jae
• Release Date: March 14, 2013
• Runtime: 127 min.
• Genre: Drama / Youth / Music / Gangster
• Production Company: KM Culture
• Distributor: Showbox
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Plot

Sang-Jin (Han Suk-Kyu) is a music teacher at an Arts High School in the small city of Gimcheon. He was once a promising opera singer in Italy, but a tumor in his throat ended his singing career. On a weekend, Sang-Jin drives out to the Gimcheon Arts High School from his home in nearby Daegu City to meet with the principle and a new transfer student. Before getting to the school, Sang-Jin pulls into the parking lot of a highway rest stop area. While parking his car, he scratches a black car parked next to him. Three men get out of the parked black car and threaten Sang-Jin. Then a young teen named Jang-Ho (Lee Je-Hoon) slowly steps out of the car. Sang-Jin becomes frightened out of his wits, but the young teen Jang-Ho ignores him and walks straight to his old beat up car. He peers inside the music teacher’s car and listens to the opera music playing out of the teacher’s car stereo. Jang-Ho then orders his three men to get the man’s driver’s license and then let him go.

Later at the principle’s office, Sang-Jin complains to Principle Deok-Saeng (Oh Dal-Su) about the new transfer student’s transcripts. Sang-Jin tells him that the guy must be a troublemaker if this is his 4th high school, but Principle Deok-Saeng assures Sang-Jin that the new transfer student is talented and he could help the school win at an upcoming music competition.

Then, the door to the principle’s office opens and the new transfer student walks in. Their new transfer student is Jang-Ho, whom Sang-Jin already met in the parking lot at the rest stop area. Jang-Ho is an enforcer for a powerful mafia group in Daegu City, but all he really wants to do is sing.