On The Beach At Night Alone

A film by Hong Sang-soo. In kore­an with ger­man subtitles.

After an affair with a mar­ried man, cele­bra­ted actress Younghee deci­des to take some time out. She tra­vels to the far-off, for­eign city of Hamburg. In a con­ver­sa­ti­on with a fri­end she asks hers­elf if her lover will fol­low her and whe­ther he mis­ses her as much as she mis­ses him. During her long walks through win­try parks and along river­banks she attempts to beco­me clear about her fee­lings and desires.
The ques­ti­on about the mea­ning of love in our lives is a com­mon the­me in all the films of Hong Sangsoo, and yet the ans­wers to this ques­ti­on always appear to just slip from our grasp. Back in Korea, Younghee meets some old fri­ends in the coas­tal town of Gangneung. They eat and drink tog­e­ther and, as is so often the case in Hong Sangsoo’s films, Korea’s natio­nal drink Soju plays an important part. Under the influence of alco­hol Younghee pro­vo­kes, insults and angers the others. Their con­ver­sa­ti­ons get more and more out of hand, giving vent to minor and major rea­li­sa­ti­ons and truths. Afterwards, Younghee with­draws to a deser­ted beach. It seems as if she can only tru­ly find hers­elf in nature.
 


 
Credits:
Bamui hae­by­un-eoseo honja

Republik Korea 2017, 101 Min., korea­nisch, eng­li­sche OmU
Regie, Buch: [wikilink]Hong Sang-soo[/wikilink]
Kamera: Kim Hyungkoo, Park Hongyeol
Schnitt: Hahm Sungwon
Kim Minhee (Younghee)
Seo Younghwa (Jeeyoung)
Jung Jaeyoung (Myungsoo)
Moon Sungkeun (Sangwon)
Kwon Haehyo (Chunwoo)
Song Seonmi (Junhee)
Ahn Jaehong (Seunghee)
Park Yeaju (Dohee)