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Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, is an unpredictable and refreshingly authentic story of a young woman’s search for identity, and of the ever-shifting relationships that shape it.
Freddie (Park Ji-Min) was adopted when she was very young, born in South Korea and raised in France. She’s magnetic, spirited and hard to pin down; never in one place, or with one person, for long enough to get attached. At 25 years old, Freddie makes an impulsive decision to visit Seoul for the first time since her adoption, in an attempt to reconnect with her biological parents and the culture she had to leave behind.
Featuring a revelatory performance from newcomer Park Ji-Min, this bittersweet journey of self-discovery sees Freddie travel from South Korea's vibrant, neon-soaked capital to its tranquil port cities, in search of a better understanding of her own identity, culture and home.
The Garden Cinema View:
Few films capture the messy nature of young adulthood like Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul. An elliptical and fragmentary narrative mirrors the spikey and shifting personality of protagonist Freddie (an impressive Park Ji-min). A raw and ultimately soft-hearted exploration of an identity shaped and unstuck by diaspora and adoption with the power to frustrate and endear in equal measure.
All showings in Screen 1 have audio description available.
Cast:
Park Ji-min, Oh Gwang-rok, Guka Han, Kim Sun-young