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Return to Seoul, which was Cambodia’s official Oscar submission in 2022, is a poignant story of a twenty-five-year-old French woman named Freddie (Park Ji-Min) who arrives in South Korea decades after being adopted and struggles to reconnect with her heritage and her birth parents. Park makes an astounding acting debut in a very strong film from writer-director Davy Chou.
I had the chance to speak with Chou and Park about the inspiration for this film and their collaborative process in crafting the character of Freddie. We also discussed the challenges of portraying three different versions of Freddie in separate time periods, particularly for a first-time actress. The film won the special jury prize at Tokyo FILMex and the audience award at the Hampton International Film Festival. The film was also selected at the Cannes Film Festival, New York Film Festival and the official Cambodia entry for the Academy Award.
You can watch the video above, and read below for an official summary and where to watch.
Film summary:
After an impulsive travel decision to visit friends, Freddie, 25, returns to South Korea for the first time, where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. Freddie suddenly finds herself embarking on (an unexpected) journey in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.
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Return to Seoul opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, February 17th.