What Does That Nature Say to You

In his account of a mid-30s poet’s chance encounter with the father of his girlfriend which inadvertently turns into a meet-the-parents scenario, Hong Sang-soo’s detached lens finds insights in simplicity, poetry in the mundane, and layered meaning in the seemingly spontaneous, innocuous exchanges. Languidly unfolded in eight chapters is a subtle exposé of character – the poet’s life, his lifelong blurry vision, and concealed complex anxieties gradually surface through leisurely meals, cigarette breaks and drunken humiliations, evoking a mixed aftertaste to a quiet meditation on wealth, class, privilege, and one’s place in life. Immersed in his low-res, soft-focus aesthetics, Hong sees his film – and his world – clearer than ever.

Berlin International Film Festival: In Competition