Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall was named best film of the year at France’s Lumiere Awards on Monday evening.
Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari also took home the best screenplay award and lead Sandra Hüller earned the prize for best actress at the 29th edition of the awards, considered to be France’s version of the Golden Globes and voted on by international correspondents from 36 countries.
The courtroom drama about a woman on trial for her husband’s death in the French Alps was nominated in six categories, but Lumiere voters spread their votes across the board...
Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari also took home the best screenplay award and lead Sandra Hüller earned the prize for best actress at the 29th edition of the awards, considered to be France’s version of the Golden Globes and voted on by international correspondents from 36 countries.
The courtroom drama about a woman on trial for her husband’s death in the French Alps was nominated in six categories, but Lumiere voters spread their votes across the board...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall continued its prize-winning run on Monday at France’s 29th Lumière Awards clinching Best Film and Best Screenplay, while its German star Sandra Hüller won Best Actress.
The Lumières fete the best films, performances and technical achievements of French cinema across 13 categories.
The French equivalent of the Golden Globes, they are voted on by the Académie des Lumières which is made up of France-based international journalists representing 36 countries.
In other key prizes, Thomas Cailley won Best Director for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard opener The Animal Kingdom, while Arieh Worthalter won Best Actor for his performance in Cédric Khan’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight opener The Goldman Case.
Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall, which was nominated in six Lumière categories, is on an award-winning streak.
The movie swept the board at the European Film Awards in Berlin last December...
The Lumières fete the best films, performances and technical achievements of French cinema across 13 categories.
The French equivalent of the Golden Globes, they are voted on by the Académie des Lumières which is made up of France-based international journalists representing 36 countries.
In other key prizes, Thomas Cailley won Best Director for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard opener The Animal Kingdom, while Arieh Worthalter won Best Actor for his performance in Cédric Khan’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight opener The Goldman Case.
Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall, which was nominated in six Lumière categories, is on an award-winning streak.
The movie swept the board at the European Film Awards in Berlin last December...
- 1/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
I love going to the movies every year, but I really loved going to the movies this year. I saw Knock at the Cabin in Providence, I saw May December in Tallinn. I saw Enys Men in a small theater at Village East where it felt like everyone in the audience turned against the film but me. Somehow I liked Equalizer 3 despite loathing the other two. The worst movie I saw in theaters was Fast X, which I watched on an edible that put me to sleep during a set piece. I missed out on seeing Magic Mike’s Last Dance with some friends who wound up running into Christopher Nolan going to see Skinamarink. I loved breaking Yom Kippur fast during The Beast (out next year—I...
I love going to the movies every year, but I really loved going to the movies this year. I saw Knock at the Cabin in Providence, I saw May December in Tallinn. I saw Enys Men in a small theater at Village East where it felt like everyone in the audience turned against the film but me. Somehow I liked Equalizer 3 despite loathing the other two. The worst movie I saw in theaters was Fast X, which I watched on an edible that put me to sleep during a set piece. I missed out on seeing Magic Mike’s Last Dance with some friends who wound up running into Christopher Nolan going to see Skinamarink. I loved breaking Yom Kippur fast during The Beast (out next year—I...
- 12/28/2023
- by Fran Hoepfner
- The Film Stage
France’s awards season has officially kicked off with Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” landing six nominations at the Lumières Awards, including best film and director.
The courtroom drama, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, is the season’s frontrunner. The Lumières are voted on by Paris-based correspondents working for foreign outlets across 36 countries.
Sandra Huller, who stars in the film as a German novelist put on trial after her French husband dies mysteriously, is nominated for best actress, while Milo Machado Graner, who plays her astute, low-vision son, is nominated for best male newcomer.
“Anatomy of Fall” has been on a roll, garnering a raft of international prizes at the European Film Awards, Gothams, as well as Los Angeles and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, along with four Golden Globe nominations for best film, screenplay, actress and foreign film. The movie that was...
The courtroom drama, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, is the season’s frontrunner. The Lumières are voted on by Paris-based correspondents working for foreign outlets across 36 countries.
Sandra Huller, who stars in the film as a German novelist put on trial after her French husband dies mysteriously, is nominated for best actress, while Milo Machado Graner, who plays her astute, low-vision son, is nominated for best male newcomer.
“Anatomy of Fall” has been on a roll, garnering a raft of international prizes at the European Film Awards, Gothams, as well as Los Angeles and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, along with four Golden Globe nominations for best film, screenplay, actress and foreign film. The movie that was...
- 12/15/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall is the frontrunner for France’s Lumiere awards, the country’s answer to the Golden Globes, with 6 nominations, including for best film and best director.
The courtroom drama, starring Sandra Hüller as a writer who may have murdered her husband, won the Palme d’Or in Cannes this year and swept the European Film Awards on the weekend, taking 5 trophies, including best film. Anatomy of Fall, a Neon release in the U.S., has been nominated for 4 Golden Globes.
Tran Anh Hung’s foodie period drama The Taste of Things, which was picked over Anatomy of a Fall as France’s country’s official Oscar contender in the best international feature category, received just one Lumiere nom, for best cinematography.
Another French courtroom drama, Cedric Kahn’s The Goldman Case, picked up 5 Lumiere noms, tying with Thomas Cailley’s sci-fi tale The Animal Kingdom.
The courtroom drama, starring Sandra Hüller as a writer who may have murdered her husband, won the Palme d’Or in Cannes this year and swept the European Film Awards on the weekend, taking 5 trophies, including best film. Anatomy of Fall, a Neon release in the U.S., has been nominated for 4 Golden Globes.
Tran Anh Hung’s foodie period drama The Taste of Things, which was picked over Anatomy of a Fall as France’s country’s official Oscar contender in the best international feature category, received just one Lumiere nom, for best cinematography.
Another French courtroom drama, Cedric Kahn’s The Goldman Case, picked up 5 Lumiere noms, tying with Thomas Cailley’s sci-fi tale The Animal Kingdom.
- 12/14/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Lumieres are voted on by international correspondents from 36 countries.
Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning Anatomy Of A Fall leads the nominations for France’s Lumiere awards, nominated in six categories, including best film and best director.
Cedric Kahn’s courtroom drama The Goldman Case and Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom, have each received five nominations.
All three films have been nominated in the best film category alongside Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer that earned four nominations and Clément Cogitore’s Son of Ramses with three.
The filmmakers of all five of those titles have also been nominated for best director.
Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning Anatomy Of A Fall leads the nominations for France’s Lumiere awards, nominated in six categories, including best film and best director.
Cedric Kahn’s courtroom drama The Goldman Case and Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom, have each received five nominations.
All three films have been nominated in the best film category alongside Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer that earned four nominations and Clément Cogitore’s Son of Ramses with three.
The filmmakers of all five of those titles have also been nominated for best director.
- 12/14/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
France’s César Academy has unveiled its annual Revelations list showcasing 32 emerging acting talents making their mark in the French-speaking cinema world.
The 16 selected actresses include Suzy Bemba for her performance year in Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming. Bemba was also seen in Venice Golden Lion winner Poor Things this year.
The selection also features Rebecca Marder for Corsica-set thriller Grand Expectations; Garance Marillier, for bio-pic Marinette about French female soccer pioneer Marinette Pichon, and Park Ji-min for her award-winning performance in Return To Seoul.
The actor list includes Milo Machado Graner, who plays the visually impaired son in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Marc Zinga’s for his performance in Belgium’s Oscar entry Omen and Samuel Kircher for Catherine Breillat’s taboo-breaking drama Last Summer. His brother Paul Kircher is also in the selection for The Animal Kingdom.
The talents were selected by a committee of...
The 16 selected actresses include Suzy Bemba for her performance year in Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming. Bemba was also seen in Venice Golden Lion winner Poor Things this year.
The selection also features Rebecca Marder for Corsica-set thriller Grand Expectations; Garance Marillier, for bio-pic Marinette about French female soccer pioneer Marinette Pichon, and Park Ji-min for her award-winning performance in Return To Seoul.
The actor list includes Milo Machado Graner, who plays the visually impaired son in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Marc Zinga’s for his performance in Belgium’s Oscar entry Omen and Samuel Kircher for Catherine Breillat’s taboo-breaking drama Last Summer. His brother Paul Kircher is also in the selection for The Animal Kingdom.
The talents were selected by a committee of...
- 11/16/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Davy Chou’s lovely drama about a young woman searching for her past follows in the footsteps of The Deer Hunter, Get Carter, Tiny Furniture and more
Earlier this year I visited my home city of Johannesburg after seven years away, to find – as I do every time I return – everything at once the same and entirely different: old houses and haunts nestled just as I left them, but surrounded by unfamiliar spikes of development and decay. “You can’t go home again” goes the old phrase, but we can and we do, the warmth of nostalgia constantly battling the shock of the new.
That tension is why homecoming is a such a recurrent, irresistible theme in the movies, though Davy Chou’s lovely, glimmering Return to Seoul (Mubi) offers a less common angle on that bittersweet pang. Its Gen-z protagonist, Freddie (a wonderful Park Ji-min), is searching for any...
Earlier this year I visited my home city of Johannesburg after seven years away, to find – as I do every time I return – everything at once the same and entirely different: old houses and haunts nestled just as I left them, but surrounded by unfamiliar spikes of development and decay. “You can’t go home again” goes the old phrase, but we can and we do, the warmth of nostalgia constantly battling the shock of the new.
That tension is why homecoming is a such a recurrent, irresistible theme in the movies, though Davy Chou’s lovely, glimmering Return to Seoul (Mubi) offers a less common angle on that bittersweet pang. Its Gen-z protagonist, Freddie (a wonderful Park Ji-min), is searching for any...
- 7/8/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
There are not many character studies in cinema done with such care and empathy as Davy Chou’s Return To Seoul. With a nuanced performance from Park Ji-Min, Chou brings to life the story inspired by his friend Laure Badulfe, who was born in Korea but was adopted by a French couple. The personal touch is quite apparent as the smallest details about the life of the film’s protagonist, Frédérique, are put on celluloid. The plot revolves around her after she visits Seoul for the first time and tries to find her biological parents, unaware that her stay in South Korea will become the epicenter of her emotionally turbulent life. Let’s deep dive into her character, which goes through a lot of changes throughout the film:
Spoilers Ahead
The 25-year-old Freddie comes to Seoul, South Korea’s capital, on a two-week holiday that was initially scheduled for Tokyo,...
Spoilers Ahead
The 25-year-old Freddie comes to Seoul, South Korea’s capital, on a two-week holiday that was initially scheduled for Tokyo,...
- 7/5/2023
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
An adopted woman travels from France to South Korea in search of her roots in Davy Chou’s star-making second film
The Cambodian-French film-maker Davy Chou, a longtime champion of “lost” Cambodian cinema, made a splash in Cannes in 2016 with his dramatic feature debut, Diamond Island, a prize winner in the international critics’ week strand. For the lead role in his follow-up feature, Return to Seoul, about an adoptee who travels from France to Korea in search of her roots, he turned to Korean-born visual artist Park Ji-min, who had moved to France as a child but had no acting experience. An intense period of collaboration followed, and the result is this remarkably intimate and very affecting drama – an episodic odyssey (inspired by script consultant Laure Badufle) spanning the best part of a decade. It became Cambodia’s entry for this year’s 95th Academy Awards, and confirms both Chou...
The Cambodian-French film-maker Davy Chou, a longtime champion of “lost” Cambodian cinema, made a splash in Cannes in 2016 with his dramatic feature debut, Diamond Island, a prize winner in the international critics’ week strand. For the lead role in his follow-up feature, Return to Seoul, about an adoptee who travels from France to Korea in search of her roots, he turned to Korean-born visual artist Park Ji-min, who had moved to France as a child but had no acting experience. An intense period of collaboration followed, and the result is this remarkably intimate and very affecting drama – an episodic odyssey (inspired by script consultant Laure Badufle) spanning the best part of a decade. It became Cambodia’s entry for this year’s 95th Academy Awards, and confirms both Chou...
- 5/7/2023
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
In a terrific acting debut, Park Ji-min visits the country of her birth and decides on a whim to seek out her biological parents – with gripping consequences
The implacable forces of nature, nurture and destiny are what this movie grapples with; it is a really emotional and absorbing drama about adoption with terrific performances (many from nonprofessional first-timers) and compelling soundtrack musical cues. Franco-Cambodian film-maker Davy Chou directs, co-writing the screenplay with artist Laure Badufle, a Korean adoptee brought up in France whose personal story inspired the film.
Park Ji-min makes her acting debut in a role that mirrors her own life as well as Badufle’s: a Korean with adoptive French parents. She plays Freddie Benoît, a footloose twentysomething who on a whim comes on a trip to Seoul, checks into a hostel for foreigners and imperiously decides that the polite, French-speaking receptionist Tena, subtly played by author Guka Han,...
The implacable forces of nature, nurture and destiny are what this movie grapples with; it is a really emotional and absorbing drama about adoption with terrific performances (many from nonprofessional first-timers) and compelling soundtrack musical cues. Franco-Cambodian film-maker Davy Chou directs, co-writing the screenplay with artist Laure Badufle, a Korean adoptee brought up in France whose personal story inspired the film.
Park Ji-min makes her acting debut in a role that mirrors her own life as well as Badufle’s: a Korean with adoptive French parents. She plays Freddie Benoît, a footloose twentysomething who on a whim comes on a trip to Seoul, checks into a hostel for foreigners and imperiously decides that the polite, French-speaking receptionist Tena, subtly played by author Guka Han,...
- 5/4/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Ranveer Singh recently attended a launch event in New York along with a host of Hollywood stars including Florence Pugh, Blake Lively, Michael B Jordan, Katy Perry, Gabrielle Union, and even BTS star Jimin, Thai actor Metawin aka Win.
Ranveer Singh recently graced the Tiffany and Co. event in New York City. Known for his quirky outfits, the actor, while putting his best fashion foot forward, looked dapper in a white suit.
Taking to his Instagram account while sharing glimpses of his look, the ‘Simmba’ actor ditched a shirt and flaunted his fit physique in just the white suit with a layered neckpiece.
A couple of videos also emerged featuring the film ‘Simmba’ actor interacting with fans and bonding with stars like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union.
BTS member Park Jimin, who is also a brand ambassador for the launch, joined Singh at the event.
BTS consists of Rm, Jin,...
Ranveer Singh recently graced the Tiffany and Co. event in New York City. Known for his quirky outfits, the actor, while putting his best fashion foot forward, looked dapper in a white suit.
Taking to his Instagram account while sharing glimpses of his look, the ‘Simmba’ actor ditched a shirt and flaunted his fit physique in just the white suit with a layered neckpiece.
A couple of videos also emerged featuring the film ‘Simmba’ actor interacting with fans and bonding with stars like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union.
BTS member Park Jimin, who is also a brand ambassador for the launch, joined Singh at the event.
BTS consists of Rm, Jin,...
- 4/29/2023
- by Shweta Ghadashi
- GlamSham
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
All These Sons
With his first documentary Minding the Gap, Bing Liu turned the lens on himself and his friends to examine the domestic violence around them. One of the more human documentaries of the last decade, Liu’s film looked at Rockford, Illinois, and the racial and social elements that affect young men and women in this decent-sized city. With his newest effort, All These Sons, Liu and collaborator Joshua Altman focus on Chicago’s South and West Sides, following young Black men at Iman and Maafa, two community organizations aiming to keep these men away from the gun violence that surrounds them. Once again the resulting film bursts with empathy, built-in trauma, and forgiveness. – John F. (full review)
Where to...
All These Sons
With his first documentary Minding the Gap, Bing Liu turned the lens on himself and his friends to examine the domestic violence around them. One of the more human documentaries of the last decade, Liu’s film looked at Rockford, Illinois, and the racial and social elements that affect young men and women in this decent-sized city. With his newest effort, All These Sons, Liu and collaborator Joshua Altman focus on Chicago’s South and West Sides, following young Black men at Iman and Maafa, two community organizations aiming to keep these men away from the gun violence that surrounds them. Once again the resulting film bursts with empathy, built-in trauma, and forgiveness. – John F. (full review)
Where to...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
On paper, the basic premise of Davy Chou‘s Return to Seoul doesn’t seem that original: the story of a French Korean woman who visits her home country of South Korea in an attempt to find and connect with her parents who had left her at an adoption center only to discover that her desire to build some sort of relationship doesn’t pan out the way she hoped.
Almost every aspect of this film’s story has been done before: Lulu Wang’s The Farewell explores a similar concept about a Chinese American woman visiting her home country and experiencing a sense of culture shock, Hirokazu Koreeda’s Brokers explores similar themes about family and friendship amongst a group of orphans, and Jocham Trier’s The Worst Person in the World follows a young woman lost and trying to find meaning in her life.
And yet in spite of all these similar parallels,...
Almost every aspect of this film’s story has been done before: Lulu Wang’s The Farewell explores a similar concept about a Chinese American woman visiting her home country and experiencing a sense of culture shock, Hirokazu Koreeda’s Brokers explores similar themes about family and friendship amongst a group of orphans, and Jocham Trier’s The Worst Person in the World follows a young woman lost and trying to find meaning in her life.
And yet in spite of all these similar parallels,...
- 4/16/2023
- by Timothy Lee
- Uinterview
Image Source: Getty / Edward Berthelot
There's no end to how much musical history BTS has made as a group. They're the first and only Korean artists to notch six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and they're the only Korean artists to have been nominated for five Grammys, to name just a few of their major accomplishments. Now, as the group takes a temporary hiatus to serve in the Korean military and focus on their solo projects, it seems they'll start hitting even more milestones as soloists. Case in point: Jimin released his first solo album, "Face," along with the album's lead single, "Like Crazy," on March 24, and a little over week later, he's now a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping soloist.
On April 3, Billboard reported that "Like Crazy" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making Jimin the first and only Korean soloist to score a No. 1 hit on the chart.
There's no end to how much musical history BTS has made as a group. They're the first and only Korean artists to notch six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and they're the only Korean artists to have been nominated for five Grammys, to name just a few of their major accomplishments. Now, as the group takes a temporary hiatus to serve in the Korean military and focus on their solo projects, it seems they'll start hitting even more milestones as soloists. Case in point: Jimin released his first solo album, "Face," along with the album's lead single, "Like Crazy," on March 24, and a little over week later, he's now a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping soloist.
On April 3, Billboard reported that "Like Crazy" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making Jimin the first and only Korean soloist to score a No. 1 hit on the chart.
- 4/3/2023
- by Noelle Devoe
- Popsugar.com
After announcing their plans to serve their mandatory military service before reuniting in 2025, BTS members J-Hope and Jimin paid a visit to their bandmate, Jin, who was the first to enlist in the South Korean army.
After a three-month-long hiatus from social media, Jin, aka Kim Seok-jin, took to Instagram to share a glimpse of the sweet reunion with a post captioned “Welcome,” which has already garnered more than 13 million likes. The photo shows the 30-year-old K-pop sensation in his army uniform, as he stood between J-Hope and Jimin, who both had opted for a casual look, wearing beanies.
50 Best Celebrity Bikinis Slideshow!
In a recent live session on Weverse, Jimin – aka Park Jimin – reflected on meeting his bandmate at his military base, giving an update about how Jin’s well-being to their army of fans. According to a Twitter user who translated the live session, Jimin had managed to...
After a three-month-long hiatus from social media, Jin, aka Kim Seok-jin, took to Instagram to share a glimpse of the sweet reunion with a post captioned “Welcome,” which has already garnered more than 13 million likes. The photo shows the 30-year-old K-pop sensation in his army uniform, as he stood between J-Hope and Jimin, who both had opted for a casual look, wearing beanies.
50 Best Celebrity Bikinis Slideshow!
In a recent live session on Weverse, Jimin – aka Park Jimin – reflected on meeting his bandmate at his military base, giving an update about how Jin’s well-being to their army of fans. According to a Twitter user who translated the live session, Jimin had managed to...
- 3/9/2023
- by Nicky Kashani
- Uinterview
(Welcome to Under the Radar, a column where we spotlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our eye and deserved more attention ... but otherwise flew under the radar. In this edition: "Return to Seoul" makes its case for Best Actress, "Broker" offers some perspective, and "All That Breathes" reminds us never to underestimate the narrative power of documentaries.)
As much as some may roll their eyes at the pomp and circumstance of awards season, the end of February and the beginning of Oscars March Madness makes it feel even sillier for cynics to pretend like the Academy Awards and other buzzy awards shows don't really matter. All throughout the last month, nine of the 10 Best Picture nominees were playing in theaters nationwide, giving audiences a chance to experience the highlights of 2022's cinematic "canon" for themselves. And you know what? It paid off.
Far too many movies...
As much as some may roll their eyes at the pomp and circumstance of awards season, the end of February and the beginning of Oscars March Madness makes it feel even sillier for cynics to pretend like the Academy Awards and other buzzy awards shows don't really matter. All throughout the last month, nine of the 10 Best Picture nominees were playing in theaters nationwide, giving audiences a chance to experience the highlights of 2022's cinematic "canon" for themselves. And you know what? It paid off.
Far too many movies...
- 3/3/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Awards season is in full swing, and Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” was in the center of all the buzz. Chou’s film made it to the ten shortlisted films for Best International Feature – a coveted position that in previous years included winners like “Parasite” (2019) and “Drive My Car” (2021) — and this time represented, for the first time, Cambodia’s bid for the Oscars. As the title indicates, however, “Return to Seoul” is not about Cambodia at all. It instead tackles the slipperiness of national identity.
“Jiseok” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Chou’s sophomore feature follows the coming-of-age revelations of the fictional Freddie Benoit (Park Ji-min), a Korean adoptee raised by French parents. By a stroke of luck (or is it fate?) she finds herself in Seoul for the first time since her birth, at age twenty-five. Over the course of eight years,...
“Jiseok” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Chou’s sophomore feature follows the coming-of-age revelations of the fictional Freddie Benoit (Park Ji-min), a Korean adoptee raised by French parents. By a stroke of luck (or is it fate?) she finds herself in Seoul for the first time since her birth, at age twenty-five. Over the course of eight years,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
The girl is named Cáit. She’s 12 years old, doesn’t like attention, stays hidden and silent when she can. Living in the rural Irish countryside in the early 1980s, she’s the youngest of a brood belonging to parents that seem one perpetually short fuse away from exploding. Or rather, she was the youngest — her Ma is six months pregnant. As for her Da, he’s a largely absent, mostly glowering presence capable of inspiring a dread-inducing hush into the household upon entering. Even when he brings Cáit with him to a pub,...
- 2/24/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
In Return to Seoul, director Davy Chou tells a moving story of fractured identity amidst a constantly changing world. It’s through the eyes of Freddie (Park Ji-Min), a 25-year-old French adoptee who, on a whim, decides to find her biological parents in South Korea. Despite not being fluent in the language and having nothing other than a photograph to aid in her search, Freddie’s journey takes an unexpected route leading her to change swiftly, reminding us life demands constant reinvention as means of survival.
Chou, who was inspired by the story of a real-life friend, creates a genre-defying film that expertly captures what it’s like to live i- between worlds without a sense of belonging to any. Sleekly shot and structured by Chou, and acted beautifully by Park, in her film debut, Return to Seoul premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was eventually selected as Cambodia...
Chou, who was inspired by the story of a real-life friend, creates a genre-defying film that expertly captures what it’s like to live i- between worlds without a sense of belonging to any. Sleekly shot and structured by Chou, and acted beautifully by Park, in her film debut, Return to Seoul premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was eventually selected as Cambodia...
- 2/23/2023
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
There are a few different languages in Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” — French, Korean, a smattering of English — but perhaps the most important is music. The film’s initial third follows protagonist Freddie’s (Park Ji-min) first trip to Korea as a young adult after her adoption by a French family, where she almost stumbles into meeting her biological father (Oh Kwang-rok); throughout the film but especially in this section, Chou emphasizes the failure of translation to express the fullness of what a person wants to say, as Freddie’s biological aunt (Kim Sung-young) softens both Freddie’s sharply defined boundaries and her father’s boundless longing for connection.
There’s something tragically incomplete about Freddie: She’s French but with a piece of herself missing, Korean but alienated from that culture. Never truly home anywhere she goes, she rages against her sense of abandonment. It’s like Chou...
There’s something tragically incomplete about Freddie: She’s French but with a piece of herself missing, Korean but alienated from that culture. Never truly home anywhere she goes, she rages against her sense of abandonment. It’s like Chou...
- 2/23/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
When we last spoke with Davy Chou, we caught him at the debut of his sophomore film, “Return to Seoul” in Cannes. This time, we speak with him again at a different point of the movie: during its awards tour. Among the many accolades — including recognition at Cannes Un Certain Regard, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards, and more — “Return to Seoul” also represented Cambodia’s shortlisted bid in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film.
Though star Park Ji-min, who plays the indomitable Freddie Benoit in the film, could not make it last-minute to our conversation in San Francisco, Chou maintained his composure throughout the interview. He faced our questions headfirst through the Zoom screen. “I’m very grateful, to be honest, for the honors,” he admitted. “For a smaller production, you spend so much time doing it [without knowing how many people will watch the finished film]. There’s a lot of passion,...
Though star Park Ji-min, who plays the indomitable Freddie Benoit in the film, could not make it last-minute to our conversation in San Francisco, Chou maintained his composure throughout the interview. He faced our questions headfirst through the Zoom screen. “I’m very grateful, to be honest, for the honors,” he admitted. “For a smaller production, you spend so much time doing it [without knowing how many people will watch the finished film]. There’s a lot of passion,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Awards season is in full swing, and Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” was in the center of all the buzz. Chou’s film made it to the ten shortlisted films for Best International Feature – a coveted position that in previous years included winners like “Parasite” (2019) and “Drive My Car” (2021) — and this time represented, for the first time, Cambodia’s bid for the Oscars. As the title indicates, however, “Return to Seoul” is not about Cambodia at all. It instead tackles the slipperiness of national identity.
Return to Seoul plays in Sf Bay Area theaters on 24 February 2023.
Chou’s sophomore feature follows the coming-of-age revelations of the fictional Freddie Benoit (Park Ji-min), a Korean adoptee raised by French parents. By a stroke of luck (or is it fate?) she finds herself in Seoul for the first time since her birth, at age twenty-five. Over the course of eight years,...
Return to Seoul plays in Sf Bay Area theaters on 24 February 2023.
Chou’s sophomore feature follows the coming-of-age revelations of the fictional Freddie Benoit (Park Ji-min), a Korean adoptee raised by French parents. By a stroke of luck (or is it fate?) she finds herself in Seoul for the first time since her birth, at age twenty-five. Over the course of eight years,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
“Do you know what sight-reading is?” a young woman asks her dining companions. Neither of them know, so she explains: When you look over a score for the first time, “you have to able to analyze the music in one glance, evaluate the danger… and jump in.” The key is knowing how to read the signs, she adds. That applies to both music and in life.
Her name is Frédérique (Park Ji-min), though everyone calls her Freddie. She is South Korean by birth, but only speaks French — having been adopted...
Her name is Frédérique (Park Ji-min), though everyone calls her Freddie. She is South Korean by birth, but only speaks French — having been adopted...
- 2/17/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Freddie (Park Ji-min) doesn’t get what she wants, but it’s not quite clear what it is she does want. She’s in Seoul for the first time as an adult, a child of transnational adoption, someone who’s culturally French and trying to find something that feels indescribably correct about her sense of self, place, and time. That’s barely easily said, never mind done. She lashes out, she broods, she pulls in and pushes away new connections without consideration of the consequences. She’s adrift in a place that should be, by everyone else’s accounts, her homeland. Yet she remains unmoored, the camera […]
The post “I Made the Film Out of an Intuition”: Davy Chou on Return to Seoul first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Made the Film Out of an Intuition”: Davy Chou on Return to Seoul first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/16/2023
- by Kyle Turner
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Freddie (Park Ji-min) doesn’t get what she wants, but it’s not quite clear what it is she does want. She’s in Seoul for the first time as an adult, a child of transnational adoption, someone who’s culturally French and trying to find something that feels indescribably correct about her sense of self, place, and time. That’s barely easily said, never mind done. She lashes out, she broods, she pulls in and pushes away new connections without consideration of the consequences. She’s adrift in a place that should be, by everyone else’s accounts, her homeland. Yet she remains unmoored, the camera […]
The post “I Made the Film Out of an Intuition”: Davy Chou on Return to Seoul first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Made the Film Out of an Intuition”: Davy Chou on Return to Seoul first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/16/2023
- by Kyle Turner
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2022, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
When reflecting on my year in cinema, I recognize the experience of where and when I viewed the following films as inexplicably tied to how I remember them. The theatrical experience is sacred—this is no secret. But it bears repeating in the face of certain entities whose ethos revolves around its destruction (or “disruption”). Certainly the greatest cinema transcends. I did not see my number one movie of the year on a big screen, but I look forward to a future date when I can. And after years of repeat home viewing, I was finally able to catch two of my all-time favorite films: The Thin Red Line and Groundhog Day, on the big screen in 2022—on 35mm no less. Home viewing has its place. But...
When reflecting on my year in cinema, I recognize the experience of where and when I viewed the following films as inexplicably tied to how I remember them. The theatrical experience is sacred—this is no secret. But it bears repeating in the face of certain entities whose ethos revolves around its destruction (or “disruption”). Certainly the greatest cinema transcends. I did not see my number one movie of the year on a big screen, but I look forward to a future date when I can. And after years of repeat home viewing, I was finally able to catch two of my all-time favorite films: The Thin Red Line and Groundhog Day, on the big screen in 2022—on 35mm no less. Home viewing has its place. But...
- 1/11/2023
- by Caleb Hammond
- The Film Stage
Park Chan-wook’s stylish crime drama Decision to Leave leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards with a sweeping 10 nods, including Best Director and Best Film.
The film’s impressive nominations haul also includes a Best Screenplay nod and acting nominations for leads Park Hae-il and Tang Wei, as well as below-the-line recognition for Cinematography, Editing, Music, and Production Design.
Decision to Leave follows a detective (Park Hae-il) investigating a man’s death in the mountains when he meets the dead man’s mysterious wife, a suspect in the case, and begins a tangled affair. The film debuted at Cannes where Park won the Best Director prize. Korea has also submitted the film as its entry for the international feature Oscar race.
Japanese filmmaker Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s Drive My Car trails with eight nominations. The epic road movie also debuted at Cannes, but in 2021. Elsewhere, Hirokazu Koreeda...
The film’s impressive nominations haul also includes a Best Screenplay nod and acting nominations for leads Park Hae-il and Tang Wei, as well as below-the-line recognition for Cinematography, Editing, Music, and Production Design.
Decision to Leave follows a detective (Park Hae-il) investigating a man’s death in the mountains when he meets the dead man’s mysterious wife, a suspect in the case, and begins a tangled affair. The film debuted at Cannes where Park won the Best Director prize. Korea has also submitted the film as its entry for the international feature Oscar race.
Japanese filmmaker Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s Drive My Car trails with eight nominations. The epic road movie also debuted at Cannes, but in 2021. Elsewhere, Hirokazu Koreeda...
- 1/6/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
How do you define a “big” movie? By impressive box office numbers? Enthusiastic critical reception? The highest-profile stars, boldest headlines, brightest debuts?
No matter which method you choose, it’s nice to note that the year’s biggest films were, overall, also among its best. So this list assumes you’ve already seen the ones that fit into all of the above categories: movies like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but also “The Fabelmans,” “Nope” and “Tár.” Now it’s time to look a little deeper, think a little smaller: foreign films, documentaries, indies, and even kid flicks. Turns out, 2022 was blessed with an absolute abundance of hidden gems. Here are some that shined the brightest”
“Return to Seoul“
A gorgeous portrait of a messy life, “Return to Seoul” is simultaneously dazzling and delicate, intimate and immense. First-time actor Park Ji-Min turns in a truly stunning, tour-de-force performance as Freddie,...
No matter which method you choose, it’s nice to note that the year’s biggest films were, overall, also among its best. So this list assumes you’ve already seen the ones that fit into all of the above categories: movies like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but also “The Fabelmans,” “Nope” and “Tár.” Now it’s time to look a little deeper, think a little smaller: foreign films, documentaries, indies, and even kid flicks. Turns out, 2022 was blessed with an absolute abundance of hidden gems. Here are some that shined the brightest”
“Return to Seoul“
A gorgeous portrait of a messy life, “Return to Seoul” is simultaneously dazzling and delicate, intimate and immense. First-time actor Park Ji-Min turns in a truly stunning, tour-de-force performance as Freddie,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Often, when embarking on the recent Variety tradition that is this feature — designed to highlight some of the year’s best yet least-Oscar-likely performances — one particular turn will emerge as the poster child. A performance that, for many reasons, really ought to have a shot at Oscar but, being in a language other than English, has little chance. This year, that slot goes to Vicky Krieps who, in Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage,” does not so much play Empress Elisabeth of Austria (a role previously defined by Romy Schneider in the saccharine “Sissi” trilogy) as entirely reimagine and reclaim her.
Rather like with Mads Mikkelsen in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Krieps has the kind of stateside profile that will help “Corsage” stay in the conversation for the best international feature film Oscar shortlist. But the odds of her getting an individual best actress nod remain far slimmer — a shame, given...
Rather like with Mads Mikkelsen in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Krieps has the kind of stateside profile that will help “Corsage” stay in the conversation for the best international feature film Oscar shortlist. But the odds of her getting an individual best actress nod remain far slimmer — a shame, given...
- 12/16/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmaker Bong Joon Ho said it perfectly: “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
His golden quote had somewhat of a ripple effect on how major voting bodies approach films in awards contention that are not in the English language. These films reach across boundaries both physical and psychological, touching hearts and minds.
Looking at last year’s Academy Awards alone, we saw some Best International Feature nominees also secure nods in other categories – such as “Flee”, “The Worst Person in the World” (best original screenplay), and “Drive My Car”. This year, with all of its incredible international releases marketed to mainstream domestic audiences, has been gearing up for a potential repeat of cross-category nominees.
Germany’s submission, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” sports impeccable craftsmanship, from the magnificent debut of lead actor Felix Kammerer to its explosive sound design.
His golden quote had somewhat of a ripple effect on how major voting bodies approach films in awards contention that are not in the English language. These films reach across boundaries both physical and psychological, touching hearts and minds.
Looking at last year’s Academy Awards alone, we saw some Best International Feature nominees also secure nods in other categories – such as “Flee”, “The Worst Person in the World” (best original screenplay), and “Drive My Car”. This year, with all of its incredible international releases marketed to mainstream domestic audiences, has been gearing up for a potential repeat of cross-category nominees.
Germany’s submission, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” sports impeccable craftsmanship, from the magnificent debut of lead actor Felix Kammerer to its explosive sound design.
- 12/14/2022
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named both Everything Everywhere All at Once and Tár as its best picture for 2022.
On Sunday, the critics association announced its winners for the best films of 2022. Living actor Bill Nighly and Tár star Cate Blanchett were both named best lead performance. This was the first year that Lafca introduced gender-neutral acting categories, including two awards for best lead performance and two for best supporting performance.
Tár took home several awards, including Todd Field being named best director and best screenplay.
The best supporting performance went to Dolly De Leon in Triangle of Sadness and Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo won the best film not in the English language, and Laura Poitras’ All The Beauty And The Bloodshed won the best documentary/nonfiction film.
The best animated movie...
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named both Everything Everywhere All at Once and Tár as its best picture for 2022.
On Sunday, the critics association announced its winners for the best films of 2022. Living actor Bill Nighly and Tár star Cate Blanchett were both named best lead performance. This was the first year that Lafca introduced gender-neutral acting categories, including two awards for best lead performance and two for best supporting performance.
Tár took home several awards, including Todd Field being named best director and best screenplay.
The best supporting performance went to Dolly De Leon in Triangle of Sadness and Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo won the best film not in the English language, and Laura Poitras’ All The Beauty And The Bloodshed won the best documentary/nonfiction film.
The best animated movie...
- 12/11/2022
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted on the best films of the year on Sunday, announcing its selections via the organization’s official Twitter account. The annual awards are given out by more than 60 Lafca members in the Los Angeles area, with the online voting process spearheaded by the group’s president Claudia Puig.
Competition was stiff, given this year’s particularly wide field of Oscar contenders. Voters will have to choose between arthouse dramas from elite directors, critically acclaimed blockbusters, and bold international films.
The awards ended up being relatively evenly split between arthouse films and those with more popular sensibilities. “TÁR” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” shared the award for Best Film in a tie, and they both notched signature wins elsewhere in the competition. “TÁR” writer-director Todd Field won both Best Screenplay and Best Director, and Cate Blanchett shared Best Lead Performance with Bill Nighy...
Competition was stiff, given this year’s particularly wide field of Oscar contenders. Voters will have to choose between arthouse dramas from elite directors, critically acclaimed blockbusters, and bold international films.
The awards ended up being relatively evenly split between arthouse films and those with more popular sensibilities. “TÁR” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” shared the award for Best Film in a tie, and they both notched signature wins elsewhere in the competition. “TÁR” writer-director Todd Field won both Best Screenplay and Best Director, and Cate Blanchett shared Best Lead Performance with Bill Nighy...
- 12/11/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
“Return to Seoul” writer-director Davy Chou has signed with CAA and Anonymous Content for representation.
The Cambodian-French filmmaker’s latest film “Return to Seoul” has been selected as Cambodia’s official entry for the international feature category at the 2023 Academy Awards and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
Chou wrote and directed the film, which follows Freddie (Park Ji-Min), a 25-year-old French woman who returns to Korea, where she was born before being adopted, for the very first time. When she decides to track down her biological parents, her journey takes a surprising turn.
The movie premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics (and subsequently renamed from “All the People I’ll Never Be”). The film went on to screen at TIFF, the NYFF and more than 60 festivals, including award-winning...
The Cambodian-French filmmaker’s latest film “Return to Seoul” has been selected as Cambodia’s official entry for the international feature category at the 2023 Academy Awards and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
Chou wrote and directed the film, which follows Freddie (Park Ji-Min), a 25-year-old French woman who returns to Korea, where she was born before being adopted, for the very first time. When she decides to track down her biological parents, her journey takes a surprising turn.
The movie premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics (and subsequently renamed from “All the People I’ll Never Be”). The film went on to screen at TIFF, the NYFF and more than 60 festivals, including award-winning...
- 12/9/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
After winning the 1998 Thalberg Award, Norman Jewison told the press backstage: “The broader the Academy reaches for artistic excellence in filmmaking, the more important it becomes. Hollywood can’t isolate itself. We’re not the only talented people in the world.”
It’s taken a long time, but Academy voters and the U.S. film industry are heeding Jewison’s advice.
This year, dozens of countries have submitted entries for the international film competition. A few of them have gone beyond that, looking for (deserved) recognition in other races.
That includes several international film entries, such as Austria’s “Corsage”; Belgium’s “Close”; Cambodia’s “Return to Seoul”; Denmark’s “Holy Spider”; Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”; India’s “The Last Film Show”; Mexico’s “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”; Poland’s “Eo”; and South Korea’s “Decision to Leave.”
Countries outside the U.
It’s taken a long time, but Academy voters and the U.S. film industry are heeding Jewison’s advice.
This year, dozens of countries have submitted entries for the international film competition. A few of them have gone beyond that, looking for (deserved) recognition in other races.
That includes several international film entries, such as Austria’s “Corsage”; Belgium’s “Close”; Cambodia’s “Return to Seoul”; Denmark’s “Holy Spider”; Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”; India’s “The Last Film Show”; Mexico’s “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”; Poland’s “Eo”; and South Korea’s “Decision to Leave.”
Countries outside the U.
- 12/8/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Park Ji-min had a surprising amount of input on her debut role.
The sculptor and painter, then 33 years old, had no plans of becoming an actor when she was introduced by a mutual friend to Davy Chou, the French-Cambodian director behind the 2016 Cannes drama “Diamond Island.” Chou had spent two-and-a-half years working on his next script based on the experiences of a friend, some of which he witnessed first hand. “Return to Seoul” (previously titled “All the People I’ll Never Be”) is about a terse 24-year-old French adoptee named Freddie, who travels to South Korea and ends up tracking down her biological parents, a reunion both parties are forced to navigate despite not speaking the same language. While Park isn’t adopted herself, her family moved to Paris from Korea when she was 9, so there was at least some overlap of perspective and experience. Park and Chou’s initial...
The sculptor and painter, then 33 years old, had no plans of becoming an actor when she was introduced by a mutual friend to Davy Chou, the French-Cambodian director behind the 2016 Cannes drama “Diamond Island.” Chou had spent two-and-a-half years working on his next script based on the experiences of a friend, some of which he witnessed first hand. “Return to Seoul” (previously titled “All the People I’ll Never Be”) is about a terse 24-year-old French adoptee named Freddie, who travels to South Korea and ends up tracking down her biological parents, a reunion both parties are forced to navigate despite not speaking the same language. While Park isn’t adopted herself, her family moved to Paris from Korea when she was 9, so there was at least some overlap of perspective and experience. Park and Chou’s initial...
- 12/8/2022
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Indiewire
In what has been the widest open Oscars’ international feature category race in years, countries that previously had not been dominant in the category have emerged as strong contenders.
For instance, Cambodia sent in Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul,” which debuted at Cannes. The country has been nominated only once in this category, for 2013’s “The Missing Picture.” “Return to Seoul” follows an adoptee who makes a journey of discovery from France to her Korean birth home. Star Park Ji-min makes a striking debut. Before the end of 2022, the film would have played at more than 60 noted festivals and it has been picking up awards on the way.
“I think the unpredictability of the narration, resulting from the unpredictability of Freddie, the main character of the film, her force and anger, her vitality and self-destructiveness, and the amazing performance of Park Ji-min who interprets her, are something the academy voters could feel sensitive to,...
For instance, Cambodia sent in Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul,” which debuted at Cannes. The country has been nominated only once in this category, for 2013’s “The Missing Picture.” “Return to Seoul” follows an adoptee who makes a journey of discovery from France to her Korean birth home. Star Park Ji-min makes a striking debut. Before the end of 2022, the film would have played at more than 60 noted festivals and it has been picking up awards on the way.
“I think the unpredictability of the narration, resulting from the unpredictability of Freddie, the main character of the film, her force and anger, her vitality and self-destructiveness, and the amazing performance of Park Ji-min who interprets her, are something the academy voters could feel sensitive to,...
- 12/7/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Return to Seoul Review — Return to Seoul (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Davy Chou and starring Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-rok, Guka Han, Kim Sun-young, Yoann Zimmer and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. In Davy Chou’s thematically complex new drama, Return to Seoul, Park Ji-Min shines playing a 25-year old woman named Frederique [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Return To Seoul (2022): Park Ji-Min Succeeds in a Leading Role in a Complex but Somewhat Incomplete Dramatic Film...
Continue reading: Film Review: Return To Seoul (2022): Park Ji-Min Succeeds in a Leading Role in a Complex but Somewhat Incomplete Dramatic Film...
- 12/7/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
A version of this interview with “Return to Seoul” director Davy Chou first ran in the International Film issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
In “Return to Seoul,” a young French woman named Freddie (Park Ji-min) takes a spontaneous trip to South Korea, her country of birth before she was adopted and brought to France. During her stay, she hesitantly meets her birth father and grapples with her identity.
Over eight years, we watch her try on and reject various versions of herself, constantly pushing back against any ascribed notion of who society expects her to be. Davy Chou wrote and directed the film, basing the story on a friend’s life trajectory and drawing from his own experience as the son of Cambodian parents who was born and raised in France.
We spoke with Chou about his new film, which is Cambodia’s Oscar entry.
Also Read:
‘Holy Spider...
In “Return to Seoul,” a young French woman named Freddie (Park Ji-min) takes a spontaneous trip to South Korea, her country of birth before she was adopted and brought to France. During her stay, she hesitantly meets her birth father and grapples with her identity.
Over eight years, we watch her try on and reject various versions of herself, constantly pushing back against any ascribed notion of who society expects her to be. Davy Chou wrote and directed the film, basing the story on a friend’s life trajectory and drawing from his own experience as the son of Cambodian parents who was born and raised in France.
We spoke with Chou about his new film, which is Cambodia’s Oscar entry.
Also Read:
‘Holy Spider...
- 12/6/2022
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” is a fast one for the books, a film that (contrary to so much of contemporary cinema) delivers exponentially more than it promises. It begins as a modest, observational slice-of-life drama and slowly transforms into a movie about the lies we tell ourselves — about who we are, what we feel, and what we need.
Read More: ‘Return To Seoul’ Trailer: Davy Chou’s Latest Follows A Young Woman’s Search For Identity
We meet Freddie (Park Ji-Min) as she’s checking into a guest house in Seoul.
Continue reading ‘Return To Seoul’ Review: A Delicate, Penetrating Character Study at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Return To Seoul’ Trailer: Davy Chou’s Latest Follows A Young Woman’s Search For Identity
We meet Freddie (Park Ji-Min) as she’s checking into a guest house in Seoul.
Continue reading ‘Return To Seoul’ Review: A Delicate, Penetrating Character Study at The Playlist.
- 12/3/2022
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
"You have to evaluate the danger and jump in." Sony Pictures Classics has unveiled an official trailer for an indie film from France titled Return to Seoul, from up-and-coming Cambodian-French filmmaker Davy Chou. This first premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, then went on to win the Audience Award at the Hamptons Film Festival. It has been submitted by Cambodia as their official entry to the Best Internatioanl Film category at the Academy Awards this year. A 25-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn. The film spans years of time, following her as she struggles to deal with her identity, her parents, and her place in the world. Newcomer Park Ji-Min gives an unforgettable performance as a troubled young woman,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Two titles at this year’s New York Film Festival were deep character studies of women with fragmented pasts and a future that attempts to haunt them. While Todd Field’s TÁR is the more celebrated and audacious one, drawing adulation and a warm welcome after a decade-plus hiatus for its celebrated but sparse filmmaker, it’s Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul that might just be the better movie. Park Ji-Min doesn’t have the rapport of Blanchett, nor does her character’s predicament and self-destructive cattiness have as much at stake as Lydia Tár’s. Return to Seoul tracks Freddie Benoit’s (Park) stages of adulthood into mechanisms of escaping her incomplete existence. What’s at stake is a singular, missing piece of the puzzle in her life.
Return to Seoul starts off happily enough. We get a sense of Freddie’s gregariousness right away, something she insists...
Return to Seoul starts off happily enough. We get a sense of Freddie’s gregariousness right away, something she insists...
- 11/30/2022
- by Soham Gadre
- The Film Stage
A riveting Park Ji-Min plays an acerbic, Korean-born, French-adopted Gen Zer searching for her identity in Davy Chou’s disquieting drama “Return to Seoul.” The latest film from the French-Cambodian director of 2016’s “Diamond Island” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes earlier this year and is now a Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best International Feature. Exclusively on IndieWire, watch the official trailer for the film below.
Park stars at the 25-year-old Frederique, or Freddie as friends call her, who takes an impulsive trip to South Korea for the first time after spending the first quarter-century of her life in France with the French parents who adopted her. While in Seoul, she gets in touch first with her biological father, with whom she has a fractious first meeting after it’s revealed he’s been making drunken, late-night phone calls begging her to return “home” so...
Park stars at the 25-year-old Frederique, or Freddie as friends call her, who takes an impulsive trip to South Korea for the first time after spending the first quarter-century of her life in France with the French parents who adopted her. While in Seoul, she gets in touch first with her biological father, with whom she has a fractious first meeting after it’s revealed he’s been making drunken, late-night phone calls begging her to return “home” so...
- 11/30/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In 2011, director Davy Chou was heading to South Korea for the first time when one of his best friends decided to tag along to show him around “her country.”
“It was shocking to hear her say ‘my country,’ ” Chou said during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, since his friend never talked about Korea because she was adopted in France at an early age. “[It was] also very showing of her impulsive personality that Freddie, the character of the film, has.”
Related: The Contenders Film: Los Angeles – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Upon meeting his friend’s biological father and grandmother, Chou had the inspiration for Return to Seoul. Written and directed by Chou, Return to Seoul, or All The People I’ll Never Be, follows Freddie (Park Ji-Min), a 25-year-old French woman who travels to South Korea to find her biological family. Having been adopted and raised in France,...
“It was shocking to hear her say ‘my country,’ ” Chou said during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, since his friend never talked about Korea because she was adopted in France at an early age. “[It was] also very showing of her impulsive personality that Freddie, the character of the film, has.”
Related: The Contenders Film: Los Angeles – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Upon meeting his friend’s biological father and grandmother, Chou had the inspiration for Return to Seoul. Written and directed by Chou, Return to Seoul, or All The People I’ll Never Be, follows Freddie (Park Ji-Min), a 25-year-old French woman who travels to South Korea to find her biological family. Having been adopted and raised in France,...
- 11/19/2022
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul is a bit of a misnomer for it is not about a return to Seoul, but many returns – if we can say that someone who never knew her homeland could be said to be returning at all…
The film opens some years in the past, with a young Frenchwoman showing up at a cute little hostel in the South Korean capital. Frédérique (Park Ji-Min) has made a last-minute decision to return to the country of her birth after being adopted as a baby by a (white) French couple. ‘Freddie’ quickly shows herself to be spontaneous and fearless, doing away with Korean custom and quickly turning a quiet dinner into a raucous, drunken all-nighter. Her new-found friends, who include the hostel receptionist Tena (Guka Han), are both enraptured and shocked by her, although audiences may find her snarky expression and slappable smirk a little less entrancing.
The film opens some years in the past, with a young Frenchwoman showing up at a cute little hostel in the South Korean capital. Frédérique (Park Ji-Min) has made a last-minute decision to return to the country of her birth after being adopted as a baby by a (white) French couple. ‘Freddie’ quickly shows herself to be spontaneous and fearless, doing away with Korean custom and quickly turning a quiet dinner into a raucous, drunken all-nighter. Her new-found friends, who include the hostel receptionist Tena (Guka Han), are both enraptured and shocked by her, although audiences may find her snarky expression and slappable smirk a little less entrancing.
- 11/15/2022
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Other winners included ‘Return To Seoul’, ‘Farha’ and ‘All That Breathes’
Kamila Andini’s Before, Now And Then (Nana) won the best film award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) which took place on the Gold Coast, Australia today (November 11).
It is the first film directed by a woman to win the award and the first Indonesian film to do so.
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, Happy Salma stars as a woman still reeling from the past as she tries to move on with her life. The film premiered in competition at the Berlinale...
Kamila Andini’s Before, Now And Then (Nana) won the best film award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) which took place on the Gold Coast, Australia today (November 11).
It is the first film directed by a woman to win the award and the first Indonesian film to do so.
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, Happy Salma stars as a woman still reeling from the past as she tries to move on with her life. The film premiered in competition at the Berlinale...
- 11/11/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Indonesian director Kamila Andini’s “Before Now and Then” was named best film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film’s lead actor Happy Salma was on hand to receive the award at a ceremony in Gold Coast, Australia, on Friday.
The film recounts the story of a young woman who escapes an anti-Communist purge and leads a quiet life as the second wife of a wealthy man. But her past traumas resurface in her dreams.
Although the win is the first time that an Indonesian title has been named Apsa’s best film, and the first time that a woman has claimed the prize, it is the third time that Andini has won a feature film Apsa. Previously, she won the best children’s film prize with “The Mirror Never Lies” in 2012 and collected the youth feature film prize with “The Seen and Unseen” in 2017.
Other key prizes...
The film recounts the story of a young woman who escapes an anti-Communist purge and leads a quiet life as the second wife of a wealthy man. But her past traumas resurface in her dreams.
Although the win is the first time that an Indonesian title has been named Apsa’s best film, and the first time that a woman has claimed the prize, it is the third time that Andini has won a feature film Apsa. Previously, she won the best children’s film prize with “The Mirror Never Lies” in 2012 and collected the youth feature film prize with “The Seen and Unseen” in 2017.
Other key prizes...
- 11/11/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
- 10/18/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
- 10/17/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Cultural identity is a messy business. Its boundaries are undefined, its meaning is oft-debated, and yet it means so much and so little all at once. For transracial adoptees, that meaning is all the more muddled. Many children of Asian descent who are adopted by (usually white) parents from different countries find themselves perpetual outsiders — they look different than the friends and family they grow up alongside, but have a hard time finding a comfortable place in the cultures of their biological parents. "Return to Seoul," a restless, roaming adoption drama directed and written by Davy Chou, captures the ineffable angst of this feeling of not belonging, yet always yearning to belong.
Freddie Benoit doesn't want to meet her biological parents. Probably. Adopted by French parents from Korea as a baby, the 25-year-old young woman traveled to Seoul, Korea, on a whim — her usual trip to Japan got canceled — and...
Freddie Benoit doesn't want to meet her biological parents. Probably. Adopted by French parents from Korea as a baby, the 25-year-old young woman traveled to Seoul, Korea, on a whim — her usual trip to Japan got canceled — and...
- 10/17/2022
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
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