Hong Sang-soo

The cinema of South Korean director Hong Sang-soo deftly balances two different artistic impulses: one towards playful modernist formalism that makes us aware not just of the film medium itself, but of the filmmaking process and of the mechanics of narrative; and the other towards sheer realism, an approximation of the sprawling, disorderly nature of life itself. Underlying the complexity of Hong’s work is a profound sense of humor and a fondness for deeply flawed protagonists, characters who muddle through despite their hapless attempts at romantic intimacy. Hong has been compared to such French New Wave directors as Eric Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard; but he stands alone as a true original.