KAKSORI! is a feature documentary that follows a troupe of “singing-beggar” street performers across the South Korean countryside as they struggle to hold onto an ancient tradition while adapting to changing times. Representing those left out of Korea’s rapid economic transformation, kaksori performers provide their fans with a communal space to process the past and release shared trauma. Considered trashy by the Korean mainstream, performers break open class hierarchy and gender roles, providing cultural critique in a space for marginalized communities. KAKSORI! immerses viewers in this brash and colorful subculture, a far cry from K-pop’s polished exports. Through intimate verité scenes we follow one kaksori troupe’s struggle for authenticity as a new trend threatens to fundamentally change their world. Tracing kaksori’s untold history and living spirit, we ask how an ancient culture of class critique, collective generosity, and communal catharsis can survive in a transformed country.
