The Day He Arrives

The Day He Arrives
Hangul 북촌 방향
Hanja 北村 方向
Revised Romanization Bukchon Banghyang
McCune–Reischauer Pukch'on Panghyang
Directed by Hong Sang-soo
Produced by Kim Kyoung-hee
Written by Hong Sang-soo
Starring Yoo Jun-sang
Kim Sang-joong
Song Seon-mi
Kim Bo-kyung
Music by Jeong Yong-jin
Cinematography Kim Hyung-koo
Edited by Hahm Sung-won
Production
company
Jeonwonsa Films
Distributed by Jeonwonsa Films
JoseE Films
Release dates
  • 19 May 2011 (Cannes)
  • 8 September 2011 (South Korea)
Running time
 79 minutes
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Box office US$320,421[1][2]

The Day He Arrives (Hangul: 북촌 방향; hanja: 北村 方向; RR: Bukchon Banghyang; lit. "In the direction of Bukchon" or "Bukchon-bound") is a 2011 South Korean drama film written and directed by Hong Sang-soo.[3][4] The film is in black and white.[5] It premiered on 19 May 2011 in the Un Certain Regard section of the 64th Cannes Film Festival.[6] The film received 45,223 admissions on its domestic release.

Plot

Seong-jun heads to Seoul to meet a close friend who lives in the Bukchon (North Village; Hangul: 북촌), Jongno District. When the friend does not answer his calls, Seong-jun wanders around Bukchon and runs into an actress he used to know. The two talk for a while, but soon part. He makes his way down to Insa-dong and drinks makgeolli (rice wine) by himself. Some film students at another table ask him to join them—Seong-jun used to be a film director. He soon gets drunk and heads for his ex-girlfriend's house.

Whether it is the next day or some other day, Seong-jun is still wandering around Bukchon. He runs into the actress again. They talk and soon part. He eventually meets his friend and they head to a bar called Novel with a female professor his friend knows. The owner of the bar has a striking resemblance to Seong-jun's ex-girlfriend. He plays the piano for her.

Whether it is the next day or some other day, Seong-jun goes to the Jeongdok Public Library with his friend and mentions that it was the first place he chased after a woman. Later, they have drinks with a former actor who had been doing business in Vietnam. The same female professor joins them and the four go to the bar called Soseol (lit. "Novel"). Seong-jun gets drunk and ends up kissing the owner of the pub.

Seong-jun may have spent a few days in Seoul with his friend, or it may still be his first day there. He may have learned something from the encounter with his ex-girlfriend, or may have to meet the woman that resembles her again, for the first time. As life presents itself in no more than today’s worth of time, Seong-jun also has no other choice than to face his "today".

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bukchon Directions". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  2. ↑ "The Day He Arrives (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  3. ↑ Beck, Una (7 September 2011). "INTERVIEW: Director Hong Sang-soo - Part 1". 10Asia. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  4. ↑ Beck, Una (7 September 2011). "INTERVIEW: Director Hong Sang-soo - Part 2". 10Asia. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  5. ↑ "The Day He Arrives - Press Kit" (in French). Finecut. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  6. ↑ "Horaires 2011" (in French). Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 2011-05-10.

External links