Past Lives: The Film On Lost Love That Crosses Continents
Even if you're already in love with someone else, what would you do if you had the chance to reconnect with your childhood love?
The first-time director took the story idea and turned it into an Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated film.
Past Lives, by Korean-Canadian playwright and director Celine Gunn, is also a bilingual film in Korean and English.
Nora, played by American actress Greta Lee, moves from South Korea as a child to start a new life and learn a new language.
He is survived by his childhood friend Hae Sung, with whom he has a deep bond. More than 20 years later, after Nora meets and marries an American, Hae Sung announces that he will come to visit her.
What do Nora and her husband feel when they are reunited with their lost love?
Like Nora, Celine Song moved to North America from South Korea at the age of 12 and some experiences inspired her to write the film.
“Past Lives was inspired by the moment I met in a bar in New York's East Village, with my childhood love, originally from Korea, and now my friend and husband, with whom I live in New York. "Gunn explained.
"Since these two people don't speak each other's language, I translated from Korean to English.
“And as I translated into their language and culture, I realized that I was also translating a part of me or a part of my story.
"And I think that moment was really the inspiration for the whole movie."
When the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival a year ago, Past Lives immediately garnered strong critical praise and Oscar buzz, with The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw describing it as "a story of lost love." and of childish love... the road not taken". A life not lived, the luxury of regrets is wasted.
"And it's a film about the experience of immigration and how immigration creates alternative realities in the mind: the self that lives in the old country and the self that goes abroad in search of a new future."
The song echoes these sentiments: "There are no villains in the movie, the villains of the movie are 24 Years Ago and the Pacific Ocean. The only things we can do in our lives are powerful forces. There's nothing about it" . "
American John Magaro and German-Korean actor Teo Yoo play the two men in Nora's life, but Song cautions against viewing the story as a classic love triangle scenario.
“It's easy to think of this movie as a love triangle because there are three people in it.
"But it's not really a love triangle movie because it's about a woman choosing herself, it's a self-discovery movie," she said.
“And when it comes to the two men in her life, neither of them are waiting to be chosen.
“These are two people who have the keys. And that is a cultural key, but also historical and personal for this woman.
“These are two men who have keys that the other does not have.
"And when they meet, they'll probably hate each other, maybe even hurt each other, or say, 'I'm so glad you're here. Absolutely.'"
Gunn worked as a screenwriter and playwright before making Past Lives.
Although the film failed to win a Golden Globe, it was well received for its recognition in the upcoming Oscar nominations. The film was also nominated for three BAFTA Film Awards, including Best Original Screenplay.
It's not unusual for first-time filmmakers to be nominated for Best Director or Best Picture and even win an Oscar: Sam Mendes' American Beauty won both in 2000.
But Gunn believes Parasite's quadruple Oscar win in 2020 has made it more likely for stories in languages other than English to be recognized. Last year's Best Picture winner, Everything Everywhere at Once, was also filmed in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
"Language is an important part of the narrative of my films," says Song.
"I am bilingual, the script is written bilingual and the film is bilingual because it is not about people who can speak each other's language.
"I think subtitles have become something that is no longer an obstacle. It has been a great help for films.
“Because when I wrote the script, it wasn't clear that people would want to see a proper bilingual film.
“The basic writing software I was using didn't support any alphabets other than English, there was some kind of structure that told me that Hollywood wasn't interested in bilingual stories.
"But now that the movie is out and audiences are clearly connecting with it, that's the movie's greatest gift."
Gunn added that she hopes viewers will find something universal in Nora's story about reconnecting with her first love as an adult living in another country.
"Maybe you don't know what it's like to cross the Pacific Ocean and change countries, like you have to give up your language and culture. But you know what it's like to not be 16 years old," he said.
“Everyone can relate to the feeling of not being the same anymore.
"But of course there are people in your life who appreciate parts of your past and your life, who really care about them and know you that way.
"There are people who know you who remember you as if you were 16 or 12 years old. And how special is that person who will keep that piece of you forever.
“This is where the drama of the film comes from.
"I feel less alone because it's not something I experienced one night in this bar, it's something everyone can relate to, even in countries where I don't speak the language."
Past Lives Curzon is available to watch on Home Cinema, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, YouTube, Google Play and other online platforms.
