© 2024 Jeonwonsa Film Co.
Hong Sangsoo’s “By the Stream” marks his 32nd feature film and impressively, once again his second release of the year. With an ever-steady pace that only few filmmakers can match, Hong’s output is impressive not just for its quantity, but for the depth and originality each work consistently brings. In his previous film, “A Traveler’s Needs” Hong turned his attention to the acquisition of language, exploring the way foreign languages can bring new dimensions to one’s understanding of life. Now, with “By the Stream” he shifts his focus to the world of art, examining the process of creation, the authenticity it holds within the context of reality, and the impact that making art can have. Perhaps even more than his previous works, “By the Stream” is also a meditation on the blurred lines between truth and fiction, the fiction we can find in truth, and the truth that is hidden within fiction.
Director: Hong Sangsoo
Year: 2024
Country: South Korea
Runtime: 111 minutes
“By the Stream” follows Jeonim (portrayed by Hong’s frequent collaborator and partner Kim Min-hee), a university art lecturer who, after ten years, reconnects with her estranged uncle, Chu Sieon (Kwon Hae-hyo). Once a celebrated actor and filmmaker, Chu Sieon has since been subjected to scrutiny following a scandal involving his romantic entanglements and a critique that led to his blacklisting. Jeonim, now in her forties, has carved out a life for herself as an artist, working on patterns inspired by the Han River, embodying a creative process that is both reflective and personal. When a student director is removed from the all-female university’s skit festival for having an affair with three out of seven of the student actresses working on the skit, Jeonim asks her uncle to step in and direct the skit for her faculty. The student director’s downfall mirrors Chu Sieon’s own career trajectory, which unraveled forty years earlier after he directed a skit at the same university. Now, having traded his work as a filmmaker for a life running a bookshop, Chu Sieon finds himself back where he started, reliving his past through different eyes. In typical Hong fashion, the film’s narrative unfolds through a series of understated yet emotionally charged interactions between characters, oftentimes accompanied by alcoholic beverages, relying heavily on naturalistic performances and philosophical ruminations.
A distinctive feature of Hong Sangsoo’s filmmaking process is his largely improvisational approach. Each morning, Hong provides his actors with the script for the day’s scenes, allowing them to inhabit their characters more fully and respond in the moment. This method evidently results in performances that feel incredibly natural and authentic, as the actors explore the complexities and chemistry of their characters’ relationships. The dialogue often meanders, mirroring real-life conversations, filled with pauses, hesitations, and moments of reflection that reveal the characters’ inner lives. This technique is particularly effective in “By the Stream”, where it allows everyday conversations to accumulate weight over time, turning the seemingly trivial into something that reveals the characters’ hidden emotions and drives their emotional arcs forward without having to rely on a fabricated plot.
A remarkable metafictional layer present within the narrative of “By the Stream” becomes apparent as the film draws parallels between the characters’ experiences and Hong’s own life in the spotlight as a filmmaker. Jeonim’s discussions with her uncle about the creative process (how true inspiration must come from real-life experiences) resonate with Hong’s own filmmaking methodology. This alignment between character and creator blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality, offering viewers insight into Hong’s artistic philosophy. The narrative examines challenges of sustaining a career in the arts, particularly when personal relationships and professional ambitions collide. Chu Sieon’s fall from grace, triggered by his unconventional romances and outspoken critiques, echoes Hong’s own controversies, further deepening the film’s self-reflective nature. As the film progresses, the skit that Chu Sieon agrees to direct for Jeonim’s department becomes a symbol for the larger narrative. With its sparse dialogue and focus on non-verbal expression, the skit mirrors Hong’s own minimalist style, where the subtext is as important as the spoken word. The skit’s creation process, marked by setbacks and tensions, echoes the film’s broader themes of artistic struggle and the often messy entanglements of life and work.
“By the Stream” operates on multiple levels, offering a narrative that is both introspective and outwardly critical. Hong Sangsoo uses the story of Jeonim and Chu Sieon to reflect on his own experiences and share an emotionally enriching perspective on art, shaping a work that is as much about the process of making art as it is about the art itself. Through naturalistic performances and metafictional elements, Hong continues to offer viewers thought-provoking cinematic experiences.
“By the Stream” premiered at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival where Kim Min-hee won the Pardo for Best Performance.
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