‘Day and Night, To Each Other’ Releases First Press Stills! Coffee-Scented, Distinctive Aesthetic

Selected as the opening film of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, 〈Day and Night, To Each Other〉 sold out every seat at the opening ceremony as soon as advance ticket sales began. The film has now released its first press stills. 〈Day and Night, To Each Other〉 is a playful, charming film about conversations between day and night as they pass through a single cafe over the course of one season. It is the latest film from director Kim Jong-kwan, who has established a distinctive cinematic world through films including 〈The Worst Person in the World〉, 〈The Table〉 and 〈Josée〉. Eight of South Korea’s most beloved actors—Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Jang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Hee-joon, Jeon So-young and Kim Dong-hwi—join the cast, delivering strong performances while portraying the many faces of love.

The newly released first press stills heighten anticipation with images steeped in the sensibility unique to Kim Jong-kwan’s films, now a genre unto themselves. The stills capture the director’s signature ability to find and delicately portray the beauty of everyday life, drawing attention to the many faces of love that pass through a single cafe. Eugene (Kim Min-ha) listens closely to the sound of the second hand on a wristwatch, while Hyun-oh (Joo Jong-hyuk) repairs a watch. The images invite curiosity about the circumstances that bring them briefly into each other’s lives. Another still shows Sang-mi (Han Sun-hwa), who appears unusual and eccentric, and Young-min (Jang Ryul), who seems upright and gentle, as if they are whispering the secrets of the world. It sparks questions about what connection the two share.

The stills of Hye-jin (Shim Eun-kyung), a popular web novelist whose demeanor suggests she may be difficult, laughing happily alongside Dong-nam (Lee Hee-joon), a film director who appears with a sly expression, project a starkly different mood from those of longtime couple Na-kyung (Jeon So-young) and Jong-soo (Kim Dong-hwi), whose images carry a lonely yet tender feeling. The contrast heightens anticipation for the many stories 〈Day and Night, To Each Other〉 will tell.

Kim Jong-kwan’s latest film, 〈Day and Night, To Each Other〉, has released beautiful stills that seem to carry the aroma of coffee. The film opens in theaters nationwide this coming November.