Mother Is a Whore  Mother Is a Whore () is a 2009 South Korean drama film written and directed by South Korean indie provocateur Lee Sang-woo. It is based on a true story in Korea where a man was using his mother as a whore. The film premiered at the 2009 Kyoto International Student Film Festival. Sang-woo (Lee Sang-woo), who is HIV-positive, lives with his 60-year-old mother (Lee Yong-nyeo) in a small hut. Abandoned by his father Jung-il (Kwan Bum-tack) who left his mother for a younger woman, Sang-woo has no choice but to work as a pimp to his beloved mother to make a living. Hangul Celluloid's Paul Quinn: "With its intelligently written and deftly executed narrative, "Mother Is a Whore" serves not only as a searing, bleak and unsettling tale but also as an in-depth critique of the concept of family."