Hong Sangsoo Retrospective: Introduction

In celebration of the 30th debut anniversary of Hong Sangsoo, an unrivaled auteur in Korean cinema, Cinematheque KOFA will host a retrospective highlighting his entire filmography from May 2 to June 13. From his 1996 debut The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well, which opened a new chapter in Korean cinema with a narrative structure that broke away from conventional cinematic grammar, to his upcoming 34th feature film The Day She Returns, set to be released on May 6, 2026, he has directed an average of more than one film per year over the past three decades.

His lens is always directed at our most ordinary, everyday lives. Through the conversations between men and women in alleyways, cafes, and over drinks, he examines humanity's hidden desires, hypocrisies, and the awkwardness of relationships as if looking through a microscope. These deeply realistic landscapes frequently blur the boundaries between dreams and reality amidst subtly shifting times and perspectives, offering audiences a remarkably unique cinematic experience. Hong Sangsoo's distinct creative method, grounded in "repetition and variation" and the "economy of production," embraces even the unpredictable contingencies of the set as part of the work, allowing him to build a resolute cinematic universe. The signature mise-en-scène and auteurist attitude he has uncompromisingly maintained in any environment are precisely the clearest reasons why he is called a great cineaste of our time.

During this retrospective, Cinematheque KOFA Theater 1 will screen his films in chronological order, from his debut The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well to his latest, The Day She Returns. Meanwhile, Theater 2 will present the films in reverse chronological order, tracing back from his newest release to his debut. In addition, various supplementary events will be held throughout the program, including in-depth lectures and discussions by film critics, as well as Guest Visits (GV) with the actors who graced his works, providing opportunities to explore his cinematic world more multidimensionally. We hope this retrospective serves as a meaningful "Introduction" not only for audiences already familiar with his films but also for those newly stepping into his artistic world.

Hong Sangsoo 
Born in 1960. He attended the Department of Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University before leaving to study abroad in the United States to explore a freer and more diverse cinematic world. After graduating from the California College of the Arts, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his time studying abroad, he directed numerous short experimental films, such as Woman Looking at an Ant. Upon returning to Korea, he made a successful directorial debut in 1996 with The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well. This film earned him the Best New Director award at the 16th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and the 17th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and garnered significant attention at international film festivals including Rotterdam and Vancouver. He subsequently released The Power of Kangwon Province (1998) and Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (2000), earning absolute support from domestic and international critics as an unrivaled auteur in the Korean film industry. 
He has served as a professor at the School of Film, TV & Multimedia at the Korea National University of Arts and the Department of Film and Animation at Konkuk University. He has received numerous prestigious international awards.