hong sangsoo – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

NOWHERE TO LAY MY EYES (NYFF 2026) – Review by Margaret Barton-Fumo

September 30, 2026October 3, 2026 Margaret Barton-Fumo Choi Myung-gil, hong sangsoo, Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, New York Film Festival, Nowhere to Lay My Eyes, NYFF 2026, Shin Seok-ho, south korean fillms

There is a lot of eating and drinking, as is par for the course in Hong Sangsoo’s films. Nowhere to Lay My Eyes unfolds at a comfortable pace, punctuated by nuanced, often illuminating conversations. Small musings can lead to revelations over the course of mere minutes, usually aided by glasses of Soju. Devoteés of Hong’s cinema tend to revel in these familiar beats, and here Nowhere to Lay My Eyes pleasingly delivers.

Reviews

WALK UP – Review by Diane Carson

April 24, 2023April 27, 2023 Diane Carson hong sangsoo, south korean films, walk up

In his film, Walk Up, South Korean director Hong Sangsoo remains true to his distinctive style. A handful of characters reconnect and share wine and food as they converse, talking and talking and talking with a static camera watching from medium long shot. As in real life, the casual exchanges reveal a world of psychological attitudes and cultural attributes. Shot in beautiful black and white, adding a documentary feel, Walk Up unfolds through fanciful imaginings, but collapse time or brilliantly immerses us in the way we access memories. Hong Sangsoo proposes a mind-bending, fascinating, episodic narrative.

Reviews

THE NOVELIST’S FILM – Review by Diane Carson

December 14, 2022December 17, 2022 Diane Carson hong sangsoo, Lee Hye-yeong, south korean films, The Novelist’s Film

In The Novelist’s Film South Korean director Hong Sangsoo proves that he craftily, masterfully reveals individuals’ challenges, misgivings, and aspirations through casual conversation. Here he adds an astute interrogation of cinema itself, of directors and writers as well as viewers. He seldom movies his camera, most medium distance shots playing at length without edits. As a result, I consistently feel Hong, his own cinematographer here, inviting me to become a participant in the interaction.

Reviews

HILL OF FREEDOM – Review by Diane Carson

June 10, 2020June 14, 2020 Diane Carson 0 Comments Hill of Freedom, hong sangsoo, Ryô Kase, So-Ri Moon, South Korean, Young-hwa Seo

South Korean writer/director Hong Sangsoo uses an imaginative idea to present the on-and-off relationship between Japanese teacher Mori and Kwon, an instructor at the Korean language institute. After a two year absence, Mori returns to Seoul, searching for Kwon, determined to gain her acceptance of his marriage proposal, previously rejected.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK, March 9, 2018: CLAIRE’S CAMERA

March 5, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, betsy bozdech, cannes, Cate Marquis, claires camera, esther iverem, hong sangsoo, Isabelle Huppert, kim minhee, Korean films, sandie angulo chen

Claire’s Camera is Cannes-centric. Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo set his quirky, genre-defying drama in the sun-drenched seaside resort as the festival takes place, but never visits the event’s star-studded glamour or industry hustle that actually surrounded the film’s Cannes premiere in 2017. And, since the story is about friendship between two women, Claire’s Camera is femme-centric, too. Continue reading…