Tale of Cinema

South Korea. 2005. 82 min., 35 mm, color, in Korean with English subtitles. Directed by Hong Sang-Soo. With Kim Sang-kyung, Lee Ki-woo, Uhm Ji-won.

Tale of Cinema is a turning point in Hong’s oeuvre, marking the debut of many elements now recognized as signatures of his distinct style: the active zoom shot, the setting in the world of filmmaking, and the theme of the anxiety of influence, an important elaboration of Hong’s overarching comedy of failure. In Seoul, the paths of two men and one woman intersect and move apart from one another, centering around their love for cinema. A suicidal student meets a young woman who decides to follow him in his fatal gesture. Coming out of a cinema, Tongsu, an unsuccessful filmmaker, spots a beautiful young woman and recognizes her: she is the main actress in the film he has just seen. The life of this wavering and distressed man strangely echoes the one of the young man from the beginning.

Part of the Globus Film Series: Love Will Tear Us Apart

TICKETS
$12/$9 Japan Society members, seniors & students

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