24/40
A French woman drinks makgeolli in Korea after losing her means of income and then teaches French to two Korean women. Reference: Close-up: Best Movies and More of 2024 (2024). Iris is French but is currently in Korea, we have no idea why she ended up here but we know she has to make ends meet, so she gets creative and starts teaching French using her unique “method”. The film is very down to earth yet very poetic and interestingly revolves around language and communication. And sometimes misunderstanding. Or the refusal to communicate or to listen. It is also about the social and interpersonal distance between people who know each other and those who don’t, and how this is “accepted”; the distance can vary or change depending on various factors such as cultural norms, the place of the conversation, the mood, etc. The story is simple, but we are more interested in the nuances. We’re not interested in what’s going to happen to Iris or the other characters, but in how they’re going to react at a certain point in the conversation, what they’re going to feel and say, and how they’re going to do it. Plus, Iris’s character is really interesting, and little bits of her true self are gradually revealed, but there’s still a lot left to think about. It’s a very subtle, authentic, and elaborate piece of work, yet simple at the same time.
Benim Hitchcock Alfred 2024 Miknatis
