“A small yet remarkably delicate addition to Hong’s vast filmography”

Life, at its core, is a tapestry woven from countless, boundless, and infinite moments. Some of these moments overflow with joy, some are soaked in sorrow, some bring deep comfort, while others linger in quiet discomfort. It is with these very moments that Hong Sang-soo loves to play. A Hong Sang-soo film means a slice of quiet nature, a table for long conversations, and psychological struggles hidden behind cups of soju. His 35th feature film, Nowhere to Lay My Eyes — which premiered at the 79th Locarno Film Festival and won Best Director and Best Performance — brings this familiar world into a fresh atmosphere.

The film begins with Sang-hee (Kim Min-hee) and her younger brother arriving on Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination off South Korea’s southern coast, after nearly a decade. Their parents had separated during childhood, and Sang-hee grew up mostly with her grandparents. Consequently, a deep psychological distance stretches between her and her mother. This long-awaited reunion after years of separation is not driven by sudden impulse, but rather by a quiet yearning to seek out one’s roots at an exhausting crossroad in life. The moment they arrive on the island, the weather takes on a character of its own. True to Hong’s style, there is almost no background music; instead, the roaring waves of Jeju, the rustling of leaves, and the fierce wind seamlessly blend with the inner emotional turbulence of the characters.

On the island, Sang-hee and her brother discover that their mother runs a successful local restaurant. Their mother’s life has grown quite stable. She has built an orderly household with her current husband (their stepfather) and their young child, Sang-hee’s half-sibling. This first reunion between mother and daughter is portrayed with breathtaking realism and subtlety. There is no over-the-top melodrama or flashy cinematic emotion; instead, there is an uncomfortable silence, a mutual hesitation as they weigh and measure one another. The mother welcomes her children with her customary warmth, yet beneath her words lies a subtle, protective authority.

As always in Hong’s cinema, we witness the many layers of his characters — layers that slowly peel away through casual conversations and shared feelings. This film is no exception. Its true power lies in the extended dialogues shared around dining tables and living room floors, conversations so intimate that the viewer eventually feels drawn right into them.

Marking her return to the screen after a maternity break, Hong’s long-time muse and partner Kim Min-hee anchors the film. Her understated, measured performance as Sang-hee is one of its greatest strengths. Kim seems to act entirely through the subtle flicker of her eyelids and the micro-expressions of her face — such flawless acting! Alongside this, in a compact runtime of just 72 minutes Hong Sang-soo beautifully weaves the shifting weather of Jeju Island and the howling wind as metaphors for the fragile, restless relationships between the characters.

Hong Sang-soo has always excelled at turning the ordinary stories of everyday life into something extraordinary. This film is no exception. To explore the tension between artistic freedom and familial expectations, the complex equation of a mother-daughter bond, and the things left unsaid, he maintains his signature style — long takes and narrative simplicity.

Nowhere to Lay My Eyes is a small yet remarkably delicate addition to Hong’s vast filmography. Watching his films often feels like an act of meditation. He tells his stories with such effortless simplicity that it barely feels like anything is happening at all; yet deep down, it strikes right at the heart.

The ending of Hong’s films always leaves behind a peculiar sensation. Perhaps the heart feels overwhelmingly full, or perhaps completely empty. Or sometimes, it wraps the mind and heart in a profound, brimming emptiness — a quiet void we simply learn to swim through. And in Nowhere to Lay My Eyes, it is just the same.

(c) Image copyright: Jeonwansa Film Co.