Festival favorite Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature, his 30th, weaves together the seemingly unrelated stories of a former actress who is in retreat, and a middle-aged poet whose work is galvanizing to the younger generation.
Sangwon is an actress who has grown utterly fatigued by her craft, and so retreats to her friend’s apartment to try and find her lost spark. Hong Uiji is a poet who, to his surprise, has become something of a cult hero to South Korea’s youth, and is being visited by documentary filmmakers. Sangwon relishes spending time with her friend’s cat; Hong Uiji laments his doctor’s orders to live a healthier life. Director Hong Sang-soo’s eye for detail and his patient accumulation of humanity captures the beauty and mystery of everyday life.
“For Hong Sang-oo, In Our Day is a gesture toward recognizing the beautiful, awful, and uncanny.” –Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine