Italian Premiere | In Competition
Heung-soo is a university student in Seoul who mostly keeps to himself. He is particularly keen to keep his private life a secret, but one day, a woman in his class named Jae-hee spots him kissing another man outside of a nightclub. At first, Heung-soo is concerned that Jae-hee might spread rumors about him at school, but he soon learns she’s not the type to care or to gossip. Having recently returned from studying in France, Jae-hee is outspoken, likes to party and is constantly being judged by the people around her. Heung-soo and Jae-hee gradually realize that they share a lot in common, and can trust each other. In this way a friendship is forged that will remain strong throughout the coming decade.
Love in the Big City is based on Park Sang Young’s acclaimed novel of the same name, which was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022. The book itself is divided into four sections, and focuses on various relationships in the protagonist’s life, and his experience as a gay man in Seoul. The film is based on the first of these sections, titled “Jae-hee”, though it incorporates some content from other sections of the book, such as the protagonist’s relationship with his mother.
Director E.oni said that she read the novel and immediately fell in love with the character of Jae-hee. Hoping to fully bring Jae-hee and Heung-soo to life on the big screen, she pulled off a brilliant feat of casting, securing Kim Go-eun (
Exhuma), the most in-demand actress of the moment in South Korea, and the talented up-and-coming star Steve Sanghyun Noh (
Pachinko). Both actors completely inhabit their characters and project a life force that powers the film forward.
Although neither character is chasing any particular goal in the film, what they want most of all is to live their lives on their own terms, and according to their own desires. But this isn’t always easy in a world where people are quick to judge and condemn others’ choices. First as friends, and then later as roommates, Heung-soo and Jae-hee encourage each other, listen to each other’s stories and provide help when it’s needed. Their experiences are not that out of the ordinary, but watching them make their way through life is always engaging, and becomes steadily more inspiring.
It’s a bit unusual for a film about young adults to put friendship at the very center of its narrative, rather than off to one side. Although we follow Heung-soo and Jae-hee in their restless pursuit of both transitory and enduring love, in the end this film is about a relationship which is founded on mutual understanding and respect rather than romance. That’s one of the reasons that
Love in the Big City feels out of the ordinary, and leaves such a strong impression.
GUEST:
E.oni, director
E.oni
Lee Eon-hee, also written as E.oni, is a graduate of the Korea National University of Arts. She made her directorial debut in 2003 with the well-received
…ing (which screened at the 6th FEFF), and followed that up with the 2007 romance
Love Exposure. In 2015 she returned with the critically praised
Missing, starring Uhm Ji-won and Kong Hyo-jin. She had her biggest box-office hit to date with the sequel
The Accidental Detective 2: In Action, which sold over 3 million tickets.
Love in the Big City is her fifth feature film.
FILMOGRAPHY
2003 – …ing
2007 – Love Exposure
2015 – Missing
2018 – The Accidental Detective 2: In Action
2024 – Love in the Big City