Broker

Trailer, Teaser & Videos


Movie Details

Original title브로커
Also known asBeurokeo
GenresDrama
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Release datesMay 26, 2022 (Cannes)
June 8, 2022 (South Korea)
Running time2hr 9min
StarringSong Kang-ho, Bae Doona, Gang Dong-won, Lee Ji-eun, Lee Joo-young
Directed byHirokazu Kore-eda
Written byHirokazu Kore-eda
CinematographyHong Kyung-pyo
Edited byHirokazu Kore-eda
Music byJung Jae-il
Production companyZip Cinema
Distributed byCJ E&M

Cast & Characters

  • Song Kang-ho as Ha Sang-hyeon, the owner of a hand laundry who takes babies from a baby box at a nearby church and sells them with the help of his partner Dong-soo.
  • Gang Dong-won as Dong-soo, Sang-hyeon’s right-hand man who works part-time at the church and covers for Sang-hyeon.
  • Bae Doona as Soo-jin, a police detective who is investigating the two men’s illegal business.
  • Lee Ji-eun as Moon So-young, a mother who decides to leave her baby at the baby box.
  • Lee Joo-young as Detective Lee, Soo-jin’s colleague who also participates in the investigation.
  • Park Ji-yong as Woo-sung, So-young’s baby
  • Im Seung-soo as Hae-jin, a child in the same nursery as Dong-soo who joins the brokers’ journey.
  • Kang Gil-woo as Mr. Lim, a trader who illegally trafficks children.
  • Lee Moo-saeng as Seon-ho
  • Ryu Kyung-soo as Shin Tae-ho
  • Song Sae-byeok as a kindergarten director.
  • Kim Sun-young as the wife of the kindergarten director
  • Lee Dong-hwi as Song
  • Kim Sae-byuk as Song’s wife
  • Kim Do-yeon as Sun-ah
  • Park Hae-joon as Yoon
  • Oh Hee-joon as Detective Choi’s subordinate
  • Baek Hyun-jin as Detective Choi
  • Kim Ye-eun as Im’s wife

Storyline

Ha Sang-hyeon is the owner of a hand laundry and volunteers at the nearby church, where his friend Dong-soo works. The two run an illegal business together: Sang-hyeon occasionally steals babies from the church’s baby box with Dong-soo, who deletes the church’s surveillance footage that shows a baby was left there. They sell the babies on the adoption black market. But when a young mother So-young comes back after having abandoned her baby, she discovers them and decides to go with them on a road trip to interview the baby’s potential parents. Meanwhile, two detectives, Soo-jin and Lee, are on their trail.

Broker (Korean: 브로커) is a South Korean drama film written, directed, and edited by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. The film stars Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun, and Lee Joo-young.

The concept for Broker originated while Kore-eda was researching the Japanese adoption system for his 2013 film Like Father, Like Son. He discovered similarities with the South Korean adoption system, particularly the presence of baby boxes—places where people can anonymously leave children. The idea evolved after Kore-eda discussed making a film with Song, Bae, and Gang. He has described Broker as a thematic companion to his 2018 film Shoplifters, both focusing on social outcasts forming unconventional families.

The film was announced on August 26, 2020, initially under the working title Baby, Box, Broker before being shortened to Broker. Kore-eda refined the title to reflect the shifting nature of the “broker” role throughout the film.

After finalizing the main cast, Kore-eda worked on the script, inspired by an image of Song Kang-ho wearing a priest’s outfit, holding a baby, and smiling before selling the baby. Lee Ji-eun’s casting led him to include a scene where she sings a lullaby. Kore-eda struggled with the film’s ending and rewrote it multiple times during filming with input from Song.

Song was Kore-eda’s first choice for the role of Sang-hyeon. Gang and Bae were cast based on their performances in Secret Reunion and Air Doll, respectively. Lee Ji-eun joined in February 2021 after Kore-eda saw her in My Mister, while Lee Joo-young was cast in March 2021 after the director watched Itaewon Class and A Quiet Dream.

Principal photography took place from April 14 to June 22, 2021, with cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo. Filming locations included Pohang, Uljin, and Samcheok.

Broker was released across 1,594 screens. It debuted at the top of the South Korean box office with 146,221 admissions. The film surpassed 1 million cumulative admissions within 11 days, reaching 1,040,709 viewers. It became the first film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda to surpass 1 million admissions in South Korea.

As of September 10, 2022, Broker ranked 11th among all South Korean films released in 2022, grossing US$9,672,172 with 1,260,740 admissions. Its largest international market was Japan, where it grossed US$4,470,263.

In May 2022, before its Cannes premiere, Neon acquired U.S. distribution rights for Broker, while Picturehouse Entertainment secured distribution for the UK and Ireland. The film’s rights were also pre-sold to Metropolitan Filmexport (France), Gaga Corporation (Japan), Koch Films (Germany and Italy), Triart Film (Scandinavia), September Films (Benelux), Edko Film (Hong Kong and Macao), and Madman Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand). According to CJ E&M, Broker was sold to 171 countries ahead of its premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, later expanding to 188 countries.

The film was released in Hong Kong and Singapore on June 23, 2022, and in Japan on June 24. It was selected as the closing film of the 69th Sydney Film Festival and was screened on June 19. The Canadian premiere took place at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in September. Broker was released in the United States on December 26, 2022, and in France in the same month.

No.TitleLength
1.“Staircases” (계단)1:46
2.“Bus Stop” (정류장)0:44
3.“In The Beginning Was Rain” (시작은…비)2:29
4.“To Be A Bird” (새처럼)4:55
5.“Eavesdrop” (처맛물)1:54
6.“Family Trip” (가족여행)2:48
7.“Follow The Dot” (뒤를 밟다)2:01
8.“Saddle The Wind” (바람에 실려)1:02
9.“See You When I See You” (기약없는 이별)0:43
10.“Companiero” (동승)1:09
11.“From Afar” (멀리서)3:46
12.“The Box” (상자)0:39
13.“Betrayal” (배신)0:54
14.“Booooo” (야유)0:27
15.“Fleeing From The Past” (도망쳐)1:14
16.“End Up Where” (이 길은 어디로)0:54
17.“Daughter” (딸)0:51
18.“Suspended Step” (죽음)1:44
19.“Old Pal” (옛친구)2:00
20.“Running” (달리기)1:10
21.“Thank You” (고마워)0:49
22.“Forgiven” (용서)5:29
23.“Us” (우리)2:06
24.“Prayer” (기도)1:18

Songs not featured on the official soundtrack:

  • “Tes Bro! (테스형!)” by Na Huna, sung by Song Kang Ho in the movie
  • “Yeosu Night Sea (여수 밤바다)” by Busker Busker
  • “Jin Jin Ja Ra (진진자라)” by Tae Jin-ah
  • “The One I Remember (그때 그 사람)” by Shim Soo-bong
  • “Wise Up” by Aimee Mann
  • “Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein” sung by Lee Ji-eun with the popular korean version of the lyrics “Jaljara,uri aga(잘자라 우리아가)” written by Kim Sung tae

AwardDate of CeremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Asian Film Awards12 March 2023Best DirectorHirokazu Kore-edaWon
Asian Film Awards12 March 2023Best NewcomerLee Ji-eunNominated
Baeksang Arts Awards28 April 2023Best ActorSong Kang-hoNominated
Baeksang Arts Awards28 April 2023Best Supporting ActressBae Doo-naNominated
Baeksang Arts Awards28 April 2023Best New ActressLee Ji-eunNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best FilmBrokerNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best DirectorHirokazu Kore-edaNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best ActorSong Kang-hoNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best ScreenplayHirokazu Kore-edaNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best Cinematography and LightingHong Kyung-pyo, Park Jeong-wooNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Best MusicJung Jae-ilNominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards25 November 2022Chung Jung-won Popular Star AwardLee Ji-eunWon
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best FilmBrokerNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best ScreenplayBrokerNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best DirectorHirokazu Kore-edaNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best ActorSong Kang-hoNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best Supporting ActressLee Joo-youngNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best CinematographyHong Kyung-pyoNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Best MusicJung Jae-ilNominated
Buil Film Awards6 October 2022Popular Star AwardLee Ji-eunWon
Cannes Film Festival27—28 May 2022Palme d’OrBrokerNominated
Cannes Film Festival27—28 May 2022Ecumenical Jury AwardBrokerWon
Cannes Film Festival27—28 May 2022Best ActorSong Kang-hoWon
Chunsa Film Art Awards30 September 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunWon
Chunsa Film Art Awards30 September 2022Best ActorSong Kang-hoNominated
Chunsa Film Art Awards30 September 2022Special Award: Chunsa International Director’s AwardHirokazu Kore-edaWon
Golden Cinematography Awards19 December 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunWon
Grand Bell Awards9 December 2022Best FilmBrokerNominated
Grand Bell Awards9 December 2022Best ActorSong Kang-hoNominated
Grand Bell Awards9 December 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunNominated
Hawai’i International Film Festival12 November 2022Vision in Film AwardHirokazu Kore-edaWon
Jerusalem Film Festival21—31 July 2022Best International FilmBrokerNominated
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards24 October 2022Best New ActressLee Ji-eunWon
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards24 October 2022Korean Association of Film 10 selections of Kim Hyun-seungBrokerWon
Munich International Film Festival23 June—2 July 2022Best International FilmBrokerWon
NAACP Image Awards25 February 2023Outstanding International Motion PictureBrokerNominated
Norwegian International Film Festival20—26 August 2022Ray of Sunshine AwardBrokerWon
Venice Film Festival6 September 2022Robert Bresson AwardHirokazu Kore-edaWon

Where to Watch Broker Movie Online?

Budget & Box Office Collection

BudgetN/A
Worldwide CollectionUS$18.9 million

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