ProgrammeDirector-in-Focus: Hong Sangsoo Film Festival

Foreword

Director-in-Focus: Hong Sangsoo Film Festival

This year's Cinematheque・Passion's "Director in Focus" exhibition features an in-depth exploration of the work of Hong Sangsoo (홍상수), one of Korea's most experimental independent filmmakers. Recognized as an icon of Korean auteur cinema, Hong's directorial career spans nearly three decades, from his debut feature film The Day a Pig Fell into the Well in 1996 to his latest film A Traveler’s Needs, which just won the the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, and has resulted in more than 30 films that have been widely acclaimed by film festivals around the world. Along with Lee Changdong, Park Chanwook, Bong Joonho and Kim Kiduk, Hong is recognized as an important writer-director in Korea, Asia and the world.

Hong's passion for exploring the intricate relationships between people in his films is evident in the fact that each of his protagonists is more or less lost in love.

The complexity of emotions and human nature is captured in Hong's seemingly realistic images, and through a non-linear narrative aesthetic of repetition, all chance encounters and reunions are presented to the audience in a magical and romantic way. The closing monologue, from Oki’s Movie, may also be an interesting illustration of Hong's creative aesthetic:

"Things repeat themselves with differences I can’t understand.

I want to see the two side by side.”

We welcome all the old and newcomers of Hong's film world to experience his unique charm of love film through the 11 representative works in this special programme, which are sometimes absurd and sometimes affectionate food and drink men and women under his camera.