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Hong Sang-Soo

Hong Sang-soo (홍상수, born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter.

An acclaimed and prolific filmmaker, Hong is known for his slow-paced films about love affairs and everyday dilemmas in contemporary South Korea.

Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-Soo
Hong at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, 2022
Born (1960-10-25) 25 October 1960 (age 63)
Seoul, South Korea
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1996–present
Spouse
Unnamed
​
​
(m. 1985, separated)​
PartnerKim Min-hee (2015–present)
Children1
Korean name
Hangul
홍상수
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHong Sang-su
McCune–ReischauerHong Sangsu
IPA[ɸʷo̞ŋ sʰa̠ŋ.sʰu]

Early life

Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul. Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department at Chung-Ang University. He then studied in the United States, where he received his bachelor's degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and his master's at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Career

Hong made his directorial debut in 1996 with The Day a Pig Fell into the Well. Woman is the Future of Man (2004) was his first film to screen in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Hong's films have also screened in the main competition of the Berlin International Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. They are also regularly screened in non-competitive festivals, such as the New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hong received the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival for Hahaha. In 2013, he won the Silver Leopard Award for Best Director for Our Sunhi, and, in 2015, the Golden Leopard for Right Now, Wrong Then, both at the Locarno Film Festival. Most recently, his 2020 film The Woman Who Ran won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, Introduction won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, and The Novelist's Film (2022) won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

Film style

Hong's films often treat themes of domestic realism, with many of the scenes set on residential streets, cafes, hotels, schools, and in the stairwells of apartment buildings. Characters in the film are seen walking around the city, drinking soju, and having sex. The main characters are often movie directors or actors, and scenes typically consist of a single shot, often beginning and ending with a camera zoom. The budgets for his movies average about $100,000.

Hong is often spontaneous when shooting, delivering the day's scene on the morning of the shoot and changing the story on set. He rarely prepares scripts in advance. Hong instead begins with a basic guideline and writes his scenes on the morning of the filming day, making changes throughout the day. He starts the filming day at 4 a.m. when he begins to write the dialogue for that day's shoot. Hong also develops close relationships with the actors over alcohol and cigarettes and sometimes shoots scenes while the actors are intoxicated.

Hong's style has been compared to Eric Rohmer's, with some arguing that some of his films deliberately allude to Rohmer's.

Personal life

Hong Sang-Soo 
Hong and Kim Min-hee admitted to their affair at a press conference in Seoul in March 2017.

In 2016, Hong was reported to be having an extramarital affair with actress Kim Min-hee, who appeared in his 2015 film Right Now, Wrong Then. Hong admitted to the affair in March 2017, at the Seoul premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone. He filed for divorce from his wife in December 2016, but the court rejected his request in June 2019, insisting that only the injured party, Hong's wife, could initiate a legal separation.

Filmography

Feature films

Year English Title Original Title Credited as Notes
Director Writer Producer Composer Editor Cinematographer
1996 The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 돼지가 우물에 빠진 날 Yes Yes No No No No
1998 The Power of Kangwon Province 강원도의 힘 Yes Yes No No No No
2000 Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors 오! 수정 Yes Yes No No No No
2002 On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate 생활의 발견 Yes Yes No No No No
2004 Woman Is the Future of Man 여자는 남자의 미래다 Yes Yes No No No No
2005 Tale of Cinema 극장전 Yes Yes Yes No No No
2006 Woman on the Beach 해변의 여인 Yes Yes No No No No
2008 Night and Day 밤과 낮 Yes Yes No No No No
2009 Like You Know It All 잘 알지도 못하면서 Yes Yes No No No No
2010 Hahaha 하하하 Yes Yes Executive No No No
Oki's Movie 옥희의 영화 Yes Yes Yes No No No
2011 The Day He Arrives 북촌 방향 Yes Yes Executive No No No
2012 In Another Country 다른 나라에서 Yes Yes Yes No No No
2013 Nobody's Daughter Haewon 누구의 딸도 아닌 해원 Yes Yes Yes No No No
Our Sunhi 우리 선희 Yes Yes Yes No No No
2014 Hill of Freedom 자유의 언덕 Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 Right Now, Wrong Then 지금은 맞고 그때는 틀리다 Yes Yes No No No No
2016 Yourself and Yours 당신자신과 당신의] Yes Yes Yes No No No
2017 On the Beach at Night Alone 밤의 해변에서 혼자 Yes Yes Yes No No No
Claire's Camera La caméra de Claire Yes Yes Yes No No No
The Day After 그 후 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2018 Grass 풀잎들 Yes Yes Yes No No No World premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival
Hotel by the River 강변 호텔 Yes Yes Yes No No No World premiere at the 2018 Locarno Film Festival
2020 The Woman Who Ran 도망친 여자 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No World premiere at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival
2021 Introduction 인트로덕션 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival
In Front of Your Face 당신 얼굴 앞에서 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival
2022 The Novelist's Film 소설가의 영화 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival
Walk Up 탑 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival
2023 In Water 물안에서 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival
In Our Day 우리의 하루 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
2024 A Traveler's Needs 여행자의 필요 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes World premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival

Short films

Year English Title Credited as
Director Writer Producer Cinematographer Editor
2009 Lost in the Mountains (Jeonju Digital Project: Visitors) Yes Yes No No No
2011 List Yes Yes No No No
2013 50:50 (Venice 70: Future Reloaded) Yes Yes No No No
2021 Hong Sangsoo — Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Letter to the New York Film Festival Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2022 Small Flower Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2023 Another Letter to New York Film Festival Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Awards

Korean Awards

International Awards

State Honors

Name of the Country Year Awarded Name of the Honor Ref.
South Korea 2011 Presidential Commendation

Notes

References

Tags:

Hong Sang-Soo Early lifeHong Sang-Soo CareerHong Sang-Soo Film styleHong Sang-Soo Personal lifeHong Sang-Soo FilmographyHong Sang-Soo AwardsHong Sang-Soo

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