Thursday     18:30
Municipal Theatre of Marienbad
2024, 111 min, korean with Czech and English subtitles

Director: Sang-soo Hong
Screenplay: Sang-soo Hong
Cinematography: Sang-soo Hong
Editing: Sang-soo Hong
Music: Sang-soo Hong
Cast: Min-hee Kim, Hae-hyo Kwon
Producer: Sang-soo Hong
Production Manager: Kim Min-hee

An annual theatre event at a small university is threatened by scandal. In an effort to save it, one of the lecturers—herself a visual artist—asks her uncle, a former star director and actor, to step in and take over the now-orphaned production. After some hesitation, the uncle agrees—largely because this university stage is where he began his career 40 years ago. It soon becomes clear that the lecturer's supervisor is a devoted fan of the famous uncle, setting the stage for a scandal that mirrors the one everyone originally tried to avoid.

It is no coincidence that the Marienbad Film Festival opens with a film by a creator who has managed to build a unique creative environment, enabling him and his team to deliver top-tier, internationally resonant works year after year under modest conditions. Likewise, it's no coincidence that we chose to present, in its Czech premiere, a film that revolves around a theatre performance: Marienbad traditionally opens at the Municipal Theatre in Mariánské Lázně, originally named after N. V. Gogol, and the festival itself is, in a way, a unique, continuous three-day (scandalous) performance.

The film will be introduced at the Special Gala Opening by the festival director Anna Kopecká, accompanied by her fellow co-workers and guests.

Sang-soo Hong (*1960, South Korea) is one of the most distinctive and acclaimed contemporary South Korean directors. His films are known for their minimalist style, emphasis on dialogue, playful formal structure, and recurring themes. Characterized by long static shots, naturalistic acting, and understated humor, his work sensitively explores human relationships, moral ambiguity, and the banalities of everyday life.
His films are regularly featured at major international festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, and Locarno, where he has received numerous prestigious awards. Hong is also unique in his working method—he often takes on multiple creative roles as writer, director, cinematographer, editor, and composer. A key collaborator in his work is actress Min-hee Kim, who not only frequently stars in his films but also serves as his creative and production partner.
Sang-soo Hong represents a singular auteur approach in which simplicity of form is combined with depth of content. Working within modest production conditions, he consistently creates powerful, internationally resonant films marked by a distinctive personal style.