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NYFF 61 (9/29-10/15)

'In Water (물 안에서)' ★★★★☆

Hong Sangsoo: What is Cinema? An Artist Statement

 

*Korean version

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=Film2&document_srl=4106425

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo 

 

Director Hong Sangsoo's "In Water" was invited to the Encounters section of the Berlin International Film Festival in February, and his 30th feature film "In Our Day" was screened as the closing film of the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in May of this year. Both films were invited to the 61th New York Film Festival. These two films represent a culmination of Hong Sangsoo's views on art and life.

 

"In Water," a 61-minute film produced, written, directed, shot, edited, and scored by Hong Sangsoo himself, serves as Hong Sangsoo's 'Artist Statement.' In this film, he appears to be 'confessing' or 'justifying' why he steadfastly creates movies that deviate from the mainstream and are often overlooked by Korean audiences. After his relationship with actress Kim Min-hee became known to the world in 2016, Hong's films only managed to attract between 5,000 and 20,000 viewers in Korea.

 

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo 

 

Most of the scenes in "In Water" were intentionally filmed out of focus. The story revolves around two men and a woman staying on Jeju Island, a place known for its numerous travelers, rocky landscapes, and strong winds. They are Seung-mo (played by Shin Seok-ho), who wants to film a short film; Seong-guk (played by Ha Seong-guk), who will be in charge of filming; and actress Nam-hee (played by Kim Seung-yun). Seungmo, a former actor, is attempting to make a movie with the 3 million won ($2,200) he saved from his part-time job, even though he doesn't have a script ready yet.

 

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo 

 

Seungmo, who sets out to find a story while location hunting on a tourist island, represents the cineaste's penance. It is also a self-portrait of Hong Sangsoo. His working method is to quickly film everyday stories without a completed script, on a low budget, and with the participation and cooperation of people around him. Until the camera is set up, everything to Seungmo is blurry and uncertain, as if he is underwater. Finally, Seungmo, inspired by a woman picking up trash at the bottom of a cliff, finds a story and begins shooting a movie.

 

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo/ Stranger Than Paradise (1984) by Jim Jarmusch

 

Instead of the vibrant scenery seen by tourists, the three young people encounter a desolate, hazy landscape reminiscent of an impressionist painting or a faded work by Edvard Munch. Jeju Island becomes a barren terrain like the Florida and Cleveland depicted in director Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger Than Paradise" (1984).

 

Seungmo tells his colleagues that the reason for making movies is "it's difficult to create financially successful films, so it's a matter of honor" and "I want to create something creative before it's too late." He dreams of making his own original film rather than copying movies he has seen before. His inspiration doesn't come from fiction but from everyday life and reality around him. He even composes music instead of using pre-made music.

 

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo 

 

The world of defocus in the film may serve as a metaphor for the ambiguous circumstances, frustrating psychology, and the unknown realm before the film is completed. The audience shares Seungmo’s arduous journey as an artist. It can be a trying time or an exciting exploration of the inner self of a determined artist.

 

“Come to your senses!” Namhee experiences in the middle of the night. Although sound is invisible, it seems to be an experience of something that can exist. We are imperfect beings who cannot predict the future. One of the scenes that comes into focus in "In Water" is the opening scene where three people who are staying together, get into a fight with Seung-mo, who is attempting to cut a piece of leftover pizza with scissors to share.

 

 

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In Water (2023) by Hong Sangsoo/ Death in Venice (1971) by Luchino Visconti

 

In the final scene of "In Water," Seungmo walks into the sea. Seungmo, who disappears in the blurry image of the long take, is both lonely and holy. This ending is reminiscent of a scene in director Luchino Visconti's "Death in Venice"(1971), where the handsome boy Tadzio enters the sea and poses. Tadzio, the boy longed for by the musician Aschenbach (played by Dirk Bogart), symbolizes perfect beauty and the pinnacle of art. In "Death in Venice," Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 plays majestically, while in "In Water," Hong Sangsoo's composition and Kim Min-hee's song are accompanied by guitar. "In Water" may very well serve as the artist's statement on "Why I Make Movies," representing the cinematic path that Director Hong Sangsoo has steadfastly walked. 

 

 

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In Water/ 물안에서

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 5:30 PM, MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 6 PM 

https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2023/films/in-water

 

*12월 1일 맨해튼 메트로그라프(Metrograph) 개봉

https://metrograph.com

 

 

*나를 움직인 이 한편의 영화 '천국보다 낯설은'

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=Film2&document_srl=3881299

 

*세상에서 가장 아름다운 소년 타치오(베니스에서 죽음) 50년 후

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Film2&document_srl=4044661

 

*영화음악: 구스타프 말러와 '베니스에서의 죽음'

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Film2&document_srl=3639591

 

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2019년 뉴욕영화제 NYFF57

 

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홍상수 영화 연보/ Hong Sangsoo Filmography 

1. The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (돼지가 우물에 빠진 날, 1996)

2. The Power of Kangwon Province (강원도의 힘, 1998)

3. Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (오! 수정, 2000)

4. On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate (생활의 발견, 2002)

5. Woman Is the Future of Man (여자는 남자의 미래다, 2004)

6. Tale of Cinema (극장전, 2005)

7. Woman on the Beach (해변의 여인, 2006)

8. Night and Day (밤과 낮, 2008)

9. Like You Know It All (잘 알지도 못하면서, 2009)

*Jeonju Digital Project "Visitors": Lost in the Mountains (어떤 방문: 첩첩산중) (*short film, 2009)

10. Hahaha (하하하, 2010)

11. Oki's Movie (옥희의 영화, 2010)

12. The Day He Arrives (북촌방향, 2011)

*List (리스트) (*short film, 2011)

13. In Another Country (다른 나라에서, 2012)

14. Nobody's Daughter Haewon (누구의 딸도 아닌 해원, 2013)

15. Our Sunhi (우리 선희, 2013)

*"Hong Sang-soo": Venice 70: Future Reloaded (홍상수 베니스 70: 미래 리로디드) (short film, 2013)

16. Hill of Freedom (자유의 언덕, 2014)

17. Right Now, Wrong Then (지금은맞고그때는틀리다, 2015)

18. Yourself and Yours (당신 자신과 당신의 것, 2016)

19. On the Beach at Night Alone (밤의 해변에 혼자서, 2017) 

20. Clair's Camera (클레어의 카메라, 2017)

21. The Day After (그후, 2017)  

22. Grass (풀잎들, 2018)

23. Hotel by the River (강변 호텔, 2018)

24. The Woman Who Ran (도망친 여자, 2020)

25. Introduction (인트로덕션, 2021) 

26. In Front of Your Face (당신 얼굴 앞에서, 2021)

27. The Novelist's Film (소설가의 영화, 2022) 

28. Walk up (탑, 2022) 

29. In Water (물 안에서, 2023)

30. In Our Days (우리의 하루, 2023) 

 

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*홍상수 영화는 왜 나를 슬프게 하나: 지금은맞고그때는틀리다

-데니스 림, 홍상수 감독론 '극장전(Tale of Cinema)' 출간

*홍상수 감독 인터뷰, An Interview with Hong Sangsoo, 2004

 

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