SIFF 2023

“Past Lives” marks an exquisite debut film for Celine Song. The film details a decade-spanning romance comparable to Richard Linklater's “Before Trilogy.” The film incorporates the Korean (Buddhist) concept of In-yun, in which thousands of connections from our past lives inform our relationships in the present (and future). Childhood friends in Korea, Na Young and Hae Sung seemingly share such a connection. They're drawn to each other as classmates, rivals, and friends. But when Na Young's family emigrates to the United States, the pair's relationship is abruptly cut short.  It’s not until 12 (and 24) years later that we see the two reunite. But while Linklater's trilogy is marked by seizing fated opportunities in the moment--getting on that train, meeting up in Paris, etc.--”Past Lives” explores what happens when we don't. It's a meditation on the paths not taken, opportunities not seized, and whether or not those fated connections from our past lives can endure beyond.

I watched this on the opening night of SIFF 2023, followed by a Q&A session with Celine Song. The film is clearly a deeply personal story to the director, but it touches on universal truths that will likely resonate emotionally with anyone who watches it. The dialogue in the script is honest, open, and genuinely humorous. Greta Lee and Yoo Teo, who play the adult versions of Na Young and Hae Sung, deliver nuanced performances through their dialogue but even more so in their brilliant non-verbal communication. Their silent glances, posture, and body language become more critical when Nora's husband, Arthur (John Magaro), enters the picture. 

More than just being about a pair of star-crossed lovers, there's also a moving immigrant story. Na Young's immigrant experience involves saying goodbye to Korea and leaving that life behind. In New York, she adopts the name Nora Moon and sees her life take a completely different trajectory. Like so many immigrants, Nora leaves behind essentially the whole of her identity to this point. Does the Na Young, a 12-year-old Korean girl aspiring to be a Nobel laureate and the one that experienced that deep connection with the Hae Sung, still exist? Song described the film as "a death," implicitly an acceptance of things lost or left behind. It's a devastating romance impeccably crafted by an exciting new voice in cinema. I highly recommend you check it out.

— 5 / 5 ⭐