Director's Debut Film, a Semi-Autobiographical Romantic Drama, Tops 58th Annual Awards

Courtesy of CJENM

Celine Song, a Korean Canadian filmmaker and playwright, achieved recognition as her directorial debut, "Past Lives," was honored with the Best Picture award at the 58th National Society of Film Critics Awards. The semi-autobiographical romantic drama, centered around Korean writer Nora (Greta Lee) reuniting with her childhood sweetheart, Hae-sung (Teo Yoo), in New York after two decades, triumphed over competitors "Oppenheimer" and "The Zone of Interest." 

▲ Courtesy of CJENMDirector Song also earned a nomination in the Best Screenplay category at the prestigious awards ceremony, where the National Society of Film Critics, comprising over 60 prominent film critics across the United States, annually votes on selections for best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actor and actress, screenplay, and cinematography.

Additionally, "Past Lives" has garnered recognition at the 2024 Golden Globes Awards, with nominations in five categories, including Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Drama Motion Picture, and Best Actress. The film has also received longlist mentions in six categories for the upcoming 2024 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, scheduled for February 18.

Teo Yoo, making his Hollywood debut through "Past Lives," has been longlisted in the Leading Actor category at the BAFTA Awards, with the final nominees set to be announced on January 18. Noteworthy past Korean BAFTA awardees include directors Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, as well as actress Youn Yuh-jung.

"Paste Lives" gained international critical acclaim following its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and a favorable US release in June. The film is slated for an official theatrical release in Korea in the first half of this year. In the past year, it earned accolades such as Best Feature at the Gotham Independent Film Award, Best First Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and Best Director at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

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Kelly.K, pittou8181@gmail.com