Hong Sang-soo's New Film 'THE DAY SHE RETURNS' Invited to the Berlin Film Festival Panorama... 7 Consecutive Years

Director Hong Sang-soo has achieved the remarkable feat of being invited to the 76th Berlin International Film Festival for 7 consecutive years.

On the 15th, distributor Finecut announced, "Director Hong Sang-soo's 34th feature film 〈THE DAY SHE RETURNS〉 has been officially invited to the Panorama section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, which opens in February."

The Panorama section highlights contemporary social issues and innovative cinematic expressions.

With this invitation, Director Hong Sang-soo sets a record of presenting works at the Berlin Film Festival for 7 consecutive years. Starting with 〈The Woman Who Ran〉 in 2020, he has submitted a total of 6 films to the festival, including last year's 〈WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU〉, with 4 films winning awards: 〈The Woman Who Ran〉, 〈INTRODUCTION〉 (2021), 〈The Novelist's Film〉 (2022), and 〈A Traveler’s Needs〉 (2024).

〈THE DAY SHE RETURNS〉 is Director Hong's 34th feature film, starring Song Sun-mi, Jo Yoon-hee, Park Mi-so, and Ha Sung-guk. Actress Kim Min-hee participated in the production as the production manager.

Tricia Tuttle, the executive chairman of the Berlin Film Festival, stated, "This work captures strong empathy and humor with delicate and beautiful observation," adding, "In particular, the in-depth exploration of women's perceptions and life lived under the public gaze stands out."

She continued, "It is a work that offers elegant direction and rich cinematic pleasure," noting that "Song Sun-mi's performance leaves a particularly strong impression."

The Berlin Film Festival will be held from February 12 to 22 (local time). 〈THE DAY SHE RETURNS〉 is expected to meet audiences in domestic theaters after its world premiere at the festival in the first half of this year.