Marrakech – Korean-Canadian director Celine Song has revealed that her immigrant experience served as the inspiration for “Past Lives.”
Song made the revelation during a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday ahead of the premiere of the highly acclaimed film in South Korea.
She described how translating between her husband and a visiting South Korean friend at a New York bar led to a startling insight into her own identity and history.
“As a bilingual, I was translating between the two who couldn’t communicate and it made me realize I was translating some parts of my identity and history,” she said.
The film has received positive reviews from critics since it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
It revolves around two longtime friends, Nora and Hae Sung, who part ways as youngsters in South Korea and then meet in New York decades later.
This year, it was nominated for both Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture at the Academy Awards, competing against films like “Oppenheimer” and “Anatomy of a Fall.”
The movie also took home the best feature award at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Like the main character Nora, Song was born and raised in South Korea before moving to Canada when she was twelve years old.
She stressed that it was a passionate choice for her to include personal experiences in her debut film.
“As a human being, I think it should be something that you deeply believe only you can do or you must do in order to make or write something worthwhile to watch,” Song said.
While filming “Past Lives,” writer-director Celine Song experienced a moment of vulnerability, shedding tears on set one day.
The team assumed she was overwhelmed by the scene’s emotional intensity since it reminded her of her own childhood memories.
