Hong Sangsoo: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

ABOUT THE SERIES

The American Cinematheque is proud to present this retrospective for one of the most widely celebrated auteurs in contemporary Korean cinema, Hong Sangsoo.

Born in 1960 in Seoul, Hong studied filmmaking at Chungang University before receiving a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts and an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. Since his 1996 feature film debut THE DAY THE PIG FELL INTO THE WELL, Hong has remained impressively prolific, writing and directing nearly 30 films, which demonstrate his perpetual interest in the acutely observed dramas of everyday life. Throughout his career, Hong has explored the complex architecture beneath his characters’ lives through a unique cinematographic language, characterized by an unwavering sense of realism, and loose, often seemingly improvised, dialogue and narrative structures.

Since the early 2000s, Hong has been a reliable presence at international film festivals, competing at Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Locarno and beyond. This series features many of his award-winning films at these festivals, including VIRGIN STRIPPED BARE BY HER BACHELORS, YOURSELF AND YOURS, HAHAHA, OKI’S MOVIE, THE DAY HE ARRIVES, CLAIRE’S CAMERA, OUR SUNHI, LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL, and ON THE BEACH AT NIGHT ALONE, as well as his latest film, the critically acclaimed IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE, presented as a limited engagement at the Los Feliz 3 and Aero Theatre.