What it’s about
Nora (Lee) is a playwright in New York City, having emigrated from South Korea with her family over two decades before. Before leaving, she’d been close friends with a boy named Hae Sung. The two meet again online a dozen years later, and Nora learns Hae Sung (Yoo) is still in Seoul. She has no plans to move back, so once again they drift apart. When they reconnect over a decade later, Hae Sung is still single, while Nora is married to Arthur (Magaro), an American. When Hae Sung finally decides to visit New York, a bittersweet reunion follows.
Why we love it
Impressive debut feature from writer/director Song serves up an affecting meditation on love, fate and memory, elevated by winning performances from leads Lee and Yoo. The film deftly explores the “what if” questions that accompany life’s inevitable twists and turns. Chief among them: if Nora had stayed in Korea, would she and Hae Sung have eventually gotten together? Had they met in a past life, and might they encounter each other in a future one? Having watched this delicate, graceful film, we certainly hope so.