Canadian Premiere
Fresh from competing at the 72nd annual Berlin International Film Festival, audience favourite Hong Sangsoo returns to VIFF with his latest film.
Novelist Junhee (Lee Hyeyoung) is taking a break from writing, going on a daytrip to a small town to visit an old friend’s bookstore. Their reminiscing of years gone by turns into a discussion of a local public garden, one of the town’s must-see local attractions. It’s there on a leisurely stroll that Junhee has a chance encounter with a famous actress and a former colleague, a movie director. Suddenly, an aimless afternoon reignites an idea that Junhee has been ruminating for some time: what if she were to write and direct her own film?
Variety calls Hong Sangsoo’s 28th feature a “gently circuitous, conversation-driven charmer.” Shot almost entirely in black and white and featuring semi-improvised performances from a cast of Hong regulars, including Kim Minhee and Kwon Haehyo, The Novelist’s Film is an effortless and playful look at how a single day spent with friends, both old and new, can realign an artist’s purpose.
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, Berlin 2022
Media Partner
Hong Sangsoo
Lee Hyeyoung, Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa, Park Miso, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee
South Korea
2022
In Korean with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what’s playing at the VIFF Centre
Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling
No artist instills a sense of sublime awe like the legendary Robert Irwin, Elusive yet down to earth, Irwin is a true original. His extraordinary work is honored in this stunning portrait of one of the most influential contemporary artists of our age.
The Mother of All Lies
As her parents and grandmother prepare to leave the Casablanca home they have lived in for decades, Asmae El Moudir takes the opportunity to probe the past, unraveling repressed truths buried within her own family and Moroccan political history.
A Cooler Climate
In a recollection of veteran filmmaker James Ivory's unfinished film about Afghanistan. Old footage provides a pronounced air of mystery to compliment its rough beauty, setting the scene for a look back into Ivory's life.
Tiger Stripes
Winner of Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prix, Tiger Stripes is a coming-of-age body horror film set in a Malaysian girls' school. 12-year-old Zaffan’s body starts to change before everyone else’s, and she becomes convinced she's turning into a monster.
Credits
Executive Producer
Hong Sangsoo
Producer
Hong Sangsoo
Screenwriter
Hong Sangsoo
Cinematography
Hong Sangsoo
Editor
Hong Sangsoo
Original Music
Hong Sangsoo