At first glance, [Story of Pao] is histrionic; it is a melodrama ling of a woman`s suffering from pre-modern patriarchal society. Based on a true story, however, Ngo Quang Hai shows a woman who searches for her own life. It is a story told by Pao, rather than a story about Pao. There are complex connections in Pao`s family. Pao and her brother were born by a woman with whom her father had an affair. They were raised by a stepmother when the real mother ran away from home. Pao embarks on a journey to find her runaway mother when her stepmother commits suicide, only to discover that her birth mother has remarried. On her way back home, she witnesses a shocking scene. Through Pao`s eyes, both of her mothers have led suppressed, miserable lives. However, both of them had eventually freed themselves from customs and prejudices, and followed their own will for their own lives. It is interesting that these stories are unfolded through Pao`s point of view. Also, it is noticeable that the director embosses the theme by using an unexpected twist, as well as a traditional melodrama narrative. (Kim Ji-Seok)