Hong Sang-soo is probably my favorite Korean director and I highly recommend his Saenghwalui balgyeon (2002) aka Turning Gate. His most recent film Haebyonui yoin (2006)  aka Woman on the Beach is also great and the dialogue for the film  became my Korean study tool for some time.  Why? Because Hong’s films typically show real people doing real things, and, most important to my studying Korean–  they  speak  like real, regular ol’ people.

I was excited to read Hong has a new one coming out, Bam gua nat (2008), or Day and Night, which will screen in competition at the Berlin Film Festival starting Feb. 7. In reading a little about the new film I’m both curious and turned-off. According to this write up the film is about the relationships among a Korean artist, who wins a national competition but flees the country for unknown reasons, his wife, who is an art student, and a North Korean student.

As people in Hong’s films typically do, I’m guessing these characters will wind up in some kind of awkward fatalistic love-triangle, and in that sense the North Korean girl is a nice touch. The thing I’m worried about is that 90% of the film was done in Paris. Hong walks a fine line between emulating and flat-out ripping off the great French director Eric Rohmer, who by the way turns 88 in April and is still making movies.

The strongest part about Hong’s directing is that he brings a romantic sensibility to Korea, which, if you’ve ever been to Korea you know that’s not easy. I have a sense that making a film in Paris is probably this guy’s lifelong dream, but if he takes himself too seriously it’s going to be dumb.

At times Hong is able to counteract his Rohmer infatuation with some characters that are classic miscreants of the Woody Allen variety. Guys unable to think beyond their penis — but then find themselves flailing and over-thinking. The aforementioned Turning Gate is a hilarious  example of that.

If Hong can make a movie in Paris and yet somehow find it funny he’s making a film in Paris, then it’ll be ok.

Three other Asian films will also be amongst the 20 competing at the festival, including “Kabei-Our Mother” by Japanese director Yoji Yamada, “Sparrow” by Du Qifeng of Hong Kong, and “In Love We Trust” by Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai.