Kim Min-hee Captured at Her First Official Public Appearance After Giving Birth… Hong Sang-soo’s 35th Film “There’s Nowhere for Your Eyes to Rest”

Kim Min-hee, who shared news of giving birth in April last year, has finally broken her silence and stepped onto the international stage. “There’s Nowhere for Your Eyes to Rest,” the 35th feature-length new work by director Hong Sang-soo, received an official invitation to the international competition section of the 79th Locarno Film Festival, and the two boarded a flight to Switzerland side by side.

A return to the screen for the first time after childbirth, the leap of a muse back as a working mom

At the “There’s Nowhere for Your Eyes to Rest” screening and audience talk (GV) events held in Locarno, it was Kim Min-hee who drew the biggest spotlight. Speaking candidly, yet with an emotion close to overflow, about her feelings as a so-called “working mom,” balancing acting and childcare, she captivated attention as she presented her first return project after giving birth to filmmakers from around the world.

Unveiled new work “There’s Nowhere for Your Eyes to Rest” depicts the journey of Sanga-hee, a daughter from a divorced family, played by Kim Min-hee, as she travels to Jeju Island to look for the mother she last met 10 years ago. For this latest film as well, director Hong Sang-soo maintained a one-person production system, independently handling direction and screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing, and music. In particular, Kim Min-hee solidified her standing not only as a leading performer but also as an artistic partner, earning a credit under “production manager.” In addition, seasoned actors including Choi Myung-gil, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho, and Park Mi-seo joined the cast, adding density to the film.

Reactions from overseas media have been intense. U.S. film industry outlet “In Review Online” said, “You can see the structural playfulness hidden beneath the surface of sleep, and you only realize what a masterpiece it is if you carefully observe the subtle variations on familiar cinematic grammar.” It went on to add that “the tight tension between Sanga-hee and her mother gradually emerges through dialogue between characters,” and that it portrayed conflict with depth “without excess emotion like the kind of emotional outbursts that often appear in male-centered narratives in previous works,” pointing to clear differences from the director’s earlier film.

This marks the fifth time that the Locarno Film Festival, known as a forge for artistic and experimental auteur cinema, has invited a film by director Hong Sang-soo. The festival said, “We were deeply moved by the images and the language that deliver, comfortably, the complexity and beauty of life, with poetic expression and refined craftsmanship in harmony,” and it did not hold back its praise. Riding the strong acclaim from critics worldwide, “There’s Nowhere for Your Eyes to Rest” is set to be officially released in domestic theaters in the second half of this year.