Ascetic

How big is the gap between friendship and love between women Can one separate the moral principles of caring for another from the desire to possess that person Can coerced heterosexuality compete with closet homosexuality Ascetic which has gained cult notoriety for its controversial focus on lesbian love poses these questions and issues Middleaged painter Noh Mieh who had endured years of sadistic cruelty from her husband finds solace in the young fashion model Kim Younghee who is burdened with her own painful past of being gang raped by three men Miehs job offer to Younghee to pose for her painting has the younger woman living under Miehs roof Like a mother or even a lover Mieh takes care of Younghee doing all she can to help her younger roommate to be freed of her past demons But when Younghee falls in love with a man the two womens relationship and fate takes a drastic turn