Hong Sang-soo | |
|---|---|
 Hong at the72nd Berlin International Film Festival, 2022 | |
| Born | (1960-10-25)25 October 1960 (age 64) Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse | [1][2] |
| Children | 1 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 홍상수 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Hong Sang-su |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hong Sangsu |
| IPA | [ɸʷo̞ŋsʰa̠ŋ.sʰu] |
Hong Sang-soo (Korean: 홍상수; born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. An acclaimed and prolific filmmaker, Hong is known for hisslow-paced films about love affairs and everyday dilemmas in contemporarySouth Korea.
Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul.[5] Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department atChung-Ang University. He then studied in the United States, where he received his bachelor's degree from theCalifornia College of Arts and Crafts and his master's at theSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago.[6][7][8]
Hong made his directorial debut in 1996 withThe Day a Pig Fell into the Well.Woman is the Future of Man (2004) was his first film to screen in the main competition at theCannes Film Festival.[5]
Hong's films have also screened in the main competition of theBerlin International Film Festival, theVenice Film Festival, and theLocarno Film Festival.[9] They are also regularly screened in non-competitive festivals, such as theNew York Film Festival and theToronto International Film Festival.
Hong received thePrix Un Certain Regard at the2010 Cannes Film Festival forHahaha. In 2013, he won theSilver Leopard Award for Best Director forOur Sunhi, and, in 2015, theGolden Leopard forRight Now, Wrong Then, both at the Locarno Film Festival. Most recently, his 2020 filmThe Woman Who Ran won theSilver Bear for Best Director at the70th Berlin International Film Festival,[10]Introduction won theSilver Bear for Best Screenplay,[11] andThe Novelist's Film (2022) won theSilver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the72nd Berlin International Film Festival.[12]
In June 2018, Hong was invited to become a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[13]
Hong's films often treat themes ofdomestic realism, with many of the scenes set on residential streets, cafes, hotels, schools, and in the stairwells of apartment buildings.[5] Characters in the film are seen walking around the city, drinkingsoju, and having sex. The main characters are often movie directors or actors, and scenes typically consist of a single shot, often beginning and ending with a camera zoom. The budgets for his movies average about $100,000.[9]
Hong is often spontaneous when shooting, delivering the day's scene on the morning of the shoot and changing the story on set.[5] He rarely prepares scripts in advance. Hong instead begins with a basic guideline and writes his scenes on the morning of the filming day, making changes throughout the day.[9] He starts the filming day at 4 a.m. when he begins to write the dialogue for that day's shoot.[7] Hong also develops close relationships with the actors over alcohol and cigarettes and sometimes shoots scenes while the actors are intoxicated.[14]
Hong's style has been compared toEric Rohmer's, with some arguing that some of his films deliberately allude to Rohmer's.[15]
In 2016, Hong was reported to be having anextramarital affair with actressKim Min-hee, who appeared in his 2015 filmRight Now, Wrong Then.[16] Hong admitted to the affair in March 2017, at the Seoul premiere ofOn the Beach at Night Alone. He filed for divorce from his wife in December 2016, but the court rejected his request in June 2019, insisting that only the injured party, Hong's wife, could initiate a legal separation.[17][18]
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Credited as | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Composer | Editor | Cinematographer | ||||
| 1996 | The Day a Pig Fell into the Well | 돼지가 우물에 빠진 날 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 1998 | The Power of Kangwon Province | 강원도의 힘 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2000 | Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors | 오! 수정 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2002 | On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate | 생활의 발견 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2004 | Woman Is the Future of Man | 여자는 남자의 미래다 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2005 | Tale of Cinema | 극장전 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2006 | Woman on the Beach | 해변의 여인 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2008 | Night and Day | 밤과 낮 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2009 | Like You Know It All | 잘 알지도 못하면서 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2010 | Hahaha | 하하하 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| Oki's Movie | 옥희의 영화 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ||
| 2011 | The Day He Arrives | 북촌 방향 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2012 | In Another Country | 다른 나라에서 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2013 | Nobody's Daughter Haewon | 누구의 딸도 아닌 해원 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| Our Sunhi | 우리 선희 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ||
| 2014 | Hill of Freedom | 자유의 언덕 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2015 | Right Now, Wrong Then | 지금은 맞고 그때는 틀리다 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| 2016 | Yourself and Yours | 당신자신과 당신의] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2017 | On the Beach at Night Alone | 밤의 해변에서 혼자 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| Claire's Camera | La caméra de Claire | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ||
| The Day After | 그 후 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2018 | Grass | 풀잎들 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | World premiere at the68th Berlin International Film Festival |
| Hotel by the River | 강변 호텔 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | World premiere at the 2018 Locarno Film Festival | |
| 2020 | The Woman Who Ran | 도망친 여자 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | World premiere at the2020 Berlin International Film Festival |
| 2021 | Introduction | 인트로덕션 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2021 Berlin International Film Festival |
| In Front of Your Face | 당신 얼굴 앞에서 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2021 Cannes Film Festival | |
| 2022 | The Novelist's Film | 소설가의 영화 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2022 Berlin International Film Festival |
| Walk Up | 탑 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2022 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| 2023 | In Water | 물안에서 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2023 Berlin International Film Festival |
| In Our Day | 우리의 하루 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the2023 Cannes Film Festival[19] | |
| 2024 | A Traveler's Needs | 여행자의 필요 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the74th Berlin International Film Festival |
| By the Stream | 수유천 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the77th Locarno Film Festival[20] | |
| 2025 | What Does That Nature Say to You | 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | World premiere at the75th Berlin International Film Festival |
| Year | English Title | Credited as | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Cinematographer | Editor | ||
| 2009 | Lost in the Mountains (Jeonju Digital Project: Visitors) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2011 | List | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2013 | 50:50 (Venice 70: Future Reloaded) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2021 | Hong Sangsoo — Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Letter to the New York Film Festival | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022 | Small Flower | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2023 | Another Letter to New York Film Festival | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name of the Country | Year Awarded | Name of the Honor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea[note 1] | 2011 | Presidential Commendation | [28] |
