Night and Day

On the run from the police for merely a minor foible, 40-year-old artist Seong-nam impetuously resolves to flee Seoul, where he happily lives with his beloved wife, for Paris, where he knows no one and can't speak the language. Upon his arrival, he takes temporary residence in a shabby Parisian hotel amongst a community of Korean expatriates. Narrated as episodic entries in a travelogue, Seong-nam's ventures in the city-marked by vacant meandering and excessive drinking-leave him longing for his wife and lusting for companionship. Thus, unable to focus on his art, Seong-nam instead finds himself battling a succession of temptations-from an unexpected encounter with an old flame to a budding love triangle with two young art students. Still, Seong-nam aches for home. In NIGHT AND DAY, the first of the films of Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo to be set abroad, Hong locates his characters in a country whose films have long been his inspiration. With allusions to Eric Rohmer and Chantal Akerman, Hong Sang-soo eloquently explores masculinity, morality, and meaninglessness with subtle charm. (In Korean and French with English subtitles) – E.J.B.