25-year-old French-Korean Frédérique Benoît, aka Freddie, has lived in France all her life having been adopted at an early age. Now she finds herself journeying in Seoul, her first time in her native land, in a culture and a language she doesn’t know. She befriends Tena and Dongwan, and on their advice seeks help from the international adoption centre, precipitating a chaotic eight-year life-changing journey of self-discovery, and reconciliation with her birth parents.

French-Cambodian writer-director Davy Chou’s haunting and nuanced Return to Seoul is loosely based on a friend’s personal story, and his direction echoes Hou Hsiao-hsien in its raw energy and focus on impulses and deep emotions. Park Ji-min (a visual artist without any previous acting experience) is magnetic as Freddie – her intuitive, dazzling presence delivers a raw and emotional portrait of a restless, impulsive young woman.

This screening will be introduced by Adelaide Kane (Young Critics & Young Irish Film Makers organisations).

Notes by Marie-Pierre Richard

Screening as part of the East Asia Film Festival Ireland (EAFFI) 2023.