Sponsored by CatDV - Square Box Systems Ltd.
Presented by Center for Asian American Media
Directed by Hong Sang-soo
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Yu Junsang, Jung Yumi
Produced by: Hong Sangsoo
South Korea’s prolific auteur Hong Sang-soo brings us the story of an aspiring young filmmaker who retreats to a sleepy seaside town and writes a script inspired by her new surroundings. The narrative cascades into three distinct yet intermingled vignettes imagining a beautiful French visitor as a different character in each: a famous film director, a wealthy housewife and a recently divorced woman (all played by the inimitable Isabelle Huppert). Themes, plots, locations and props recur as the foreign visitor interacts with the locals, including a jealous pregnant woman, her flirtatious husband, a helpful young neighbor and an affable lifeguard. Hong’s signature story-within-a-story structure allows for an almost dreamlike narrative, offering front-row seats to the writer’s imagination as she writes and rewrites. The fun lies in identifying the recurring details and is topped off with a whimsical visual style punctuated by playful zooms and action just outside of the frame. Comedic and charming effects abound.
Film Note Writer: Holly Roach