Actor Kim Min-hee's return to the screen following the birth of her child is, as expected, a film by director Hong Sang-soo.
On July 10, the production company Jeonwonsa announced that director Hong Sang-soo's 35th feature film, "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes", has been officially invited to the International Competition section of the Locarno Film Festival.
"Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" features Kim Min-hee, who has appeared in many of director Hong Sang-soo's previous works, alongside Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho, and Park Mi-so. Notably, actor Choi Myeong-gil, who has primarily been active in television dramas, is collaborating with director Hong Sang-soo for the first time, drawing significant attention.
This marks Kim Min-hee's return to acting in a film approximately two years after "By the Stream" in 2024. Since acknowledging her relationship with director Hong Sang-soo in 2016, she has appeared exclusively in his films, though she was credited only as a production manager for his recent works, "What Does That Nature Say to You" and "The Day She Returns". She gave birth to director Hong Sang-soo's child in April 2025.
"Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" (2026, International Competition) is the fifth film by director Hong Sang-soo to be officially invited to the Locarno Film Festival, following "By the Stream" (2024, International Competition/Best Performance Award), "Hotel by the River" (2018, International Competition/Best Performance Award), "Right Now, Wrong Then" (2015, International Competition/Golden Leopard, Best Performance Award), and "Our Sunhi" (2013, International Competition/Best Director Award).
In its invitation statement for the film, the Locarno Film Festival stated, "We were deeply moved by the poetic expression the film evokes and the sophisticated technique that made it possible, as every image, every word, and every encounter in the film conveys the meaning, beauty, and complexity of life in a way that seems so comfortable and effortless. It once again shows why director Hong Sang-soo is one of the great masters of our time."
The Locarno Film Festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland, in August, was founded in 1946. It is one of the oldest film festivals in the world and is renowned for showcasing artistic and experimental auteur cinema.
The 79th Locarno Film Festival will run from August 5 to August 15. Following its world premiere at the festival, "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" is scheduled for domestic release in the second half of this year.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)