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Past Lives M

Director: Celine Song
Origin: South Korea, USA (2023)
Language: English, Korean with English subtitles

View Trailer

What if the lover who never was is ‘the one’? This swooning romance follows a Korean woman whose heart is torn by the road not taken.

The Korean concept of ‘inyeon’ holds multitudes, suggesting that two souls colliding is a twist of joyous fate, perhaps predestined, but is one that can also leave a heart bound in inescapable doubt when their paths diverge. That’s the case for Seoul-born Na-young (Greta Lee, Russian Doll). Even after almost a quarter of a century – by now married to a kindly husband (John Magaro, Call Jane, MIFF 2022; First Cow, MIFF 2020), living in New York and going by the name “Nora” – she can’t seem to quite move on from the memory of her childhood friend Hae-sung (Teo Yoo, Decision to Leave, MIFF 2022).

Screening in competition at the Berlinale and championed by indie powerhouse A24, this astounding triptych told in 12-year leaps has rightfully drawn comparisons to Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. Bringing an exquisite, disarmingly subtle approach to the provocation, “Can you ever go back, and at what cost to happiness in the present?”, the film’s emotionally unmooring heft is all the more impressive given it’s the feature debut of Korean-Canadian playwright-turned-filmmaker Celine Song. This is the deft dance of Past Lives: a wistful ode to the lingering ghosts of what might have been.

“One of the year’s best films … An exquisite story of the doors we never opened and the lives we didn’t live.” – Vox


———
Director Celine Song will be in attendance for the screenings on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August. She will also appear in the MIFF Talks event In Conversation: Celine Song’s Past Lives.

Please note: The Sunday 13 August session can be booked as a Food & Film experience. Find out more here.

Tickets

Sat 05 Aug 6:15 pm [17101]
Past Lives (106 mins)
Selling Fast
Comedy Theatre
Wheelchair Access
Past event
Sun 06 Aug 12:30 pm [17131]
Past Lives (106 mins)
Selling Fast
Comedy Theatre
Wheelchair Access
Past event
Sun 13 Aug 4:00 pm [17511]
Past Lives (106 mins)
Standby
Comedy Theatre
Wheelchair Access
Past event

For information about the accessible services being offered at MIFF, please visit miff.com.au/access. If you require any access service, such as wheelchair/step-free access, for any MIFF session, please call 03 8660 4888 or email boxoffice@miff.com.au to book your ticket.

Key Cast
Greta Lee, John Magaro, Teo Yoo
Director
Celine Song
Producers
Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler
Screenwriter
Celine Song
Cinematographer
Shabier Kirchner
Composers
Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen
Editor
Keith Fraase
Costume Designer
Katina Danabassis
Production Designer
Grace Yun
Premiere Status
Victorian Premiere
Company Credit
Distributor: Studiocanal

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