A Traveler's Needs

No one knows the place from where this woman comes. We only know that she is sitting on a bench in that park while carefully playing a children's instrument, the recorder, and putting a lot of effort into it. She has no source of income, which is why some have advised her to teach French to the rest of the citizens. This way, she ends up meeting two of her South Korean students. The woman is a fan of walking barefoot and relaxing on the rocks until she feels strong enough and tries to see and feel every moment, moving away from verbal communication, losing herself only in gestures and spaces, trying to live life and enjoy moments through the purest rationality. But nothing has changed, and everything remains as complicated as it has always been. For this reason, somewhat desperate, she ends up turning to the alcoholic drink from South Korea, makgeolli, to give her some comfort and tranquility on the gray days that cloud her life.

Isabelle Huppert ('The Pianist,' 'Elle,' 'My Mother,' 'Madame Bovary,' 'The Widow,' or 'Amour') stars in this story alongside Lee Hye-yeong, Kwon Hae-hyo, Jo Yoon-Hee, Ha Seong-guk, Kim Seung-yun, and Cho Yun-hee. Hong Sang-soo takes on the role of multitasking man here, serving as the filmmaker of the work, screenwriter, sound designer, and cinematographer. This dramatic film is produced by Jeonwonsa Film.