Director Hong Sang-soo (left), actor Kim Min-hee and Park Mi-so pose at the photo call for "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, on Thursday (local time). [EPA]
Director Hong Sang-soo (left), actor Kim Min-hee and Park Mi-so pose at the photo call for "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, on Thursday (local time). [EPA]

"I think it was a very healthy version of myself — one who had finished all the preparations for the baby and then committed fully to the film." — Kim Min-hee

Director Hong Sang-soo and actor Kim Min-hee traveled to the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland together for "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes." The film, Hong's 35th feature, received an invitation to the international competition section of the 79th Locarno Film Festival.

The two appeared side by side at the film's screening and at a post-screening audience Q&A. It marks their first joint public appearance since Kim gave birth to a son with Hong in April last year.

At the Q&A, Kim said it was the first film she made after having a baby. "Even during filming, I brought the baby to the set — I had to breastfeed, I had to make baby food — I was incredibly busy preparing for the film," she said.

Hong said he used to hold such events in South Korea as well, but had stopped for personal and other reasons, making occasions like this rare. "I'm happy to be able to talk with audiences who have seen my film," he added.

"Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" marks Hong's fifth official invitation to the Locarno Film Festival.

Earlier, Hong competed in the international competition section with "Our Sunhi" in 2013, winning the best director prize, then returned to the festival — and took home awards — with "Right Now, Wrong Then" (2015), "Hotel by the River" (2018) and "Suyucheon" (2024).

In its invitation statement, the festival's executive committee said it was "deeply moved by the way every image, every word, every encounter in the film conveys the meaning, beauty and complexity of life — through poetic expression and refined technique — in a manner that feels so effortless and unforced."

The film follows Sang-hee (played by Kim), the daughter of a divorced family, as she travels to Jeju Island in search of her mother, whom she last saw 10 years ago. The cast includes Choi Myung-gil, Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho and Park Mi-so.

The film is scheduled for domestic release in the second half of this year.


balme@heraldcorp.com