Hong Sang-soo gets seventh invite to Berlin International Film Festival for 'A Traveler’s Needs'

A scene from director Hong Sang-soo's film ″A Traveler's Needs,″ starring French actor Isabelle Huppert [JEONWONSA FILM]

Director Hong Sang-soo’s 31st feature film, “A Traveler’s Needs,” was invited Tuesday to the Competition section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

Starring French actor Isabelle Huppert in her third collaboration with Hong, “A Traveler’s Needs” is about a French woman who travels to Korea and teaches French to two Korean women. Huppert previously worked with Hong in “In Another Country” (2012) and “Claire’s Camera” (2017).

With the invitation to this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, also known as the Berlinale, Hong has been invited to the prestigious film festival for five consecutive years and seven times in total.

The Competition section is the main section of the Berlinale and selects around 20 films competing for the festival’s top awards, including the Golden Bear and Silver Bear trophies. Hong’s films have previously won the Silver Bear award three times, and the director won a Grand Jury Prize in 2022 for “The Novelist’s Film.”

“Hong’s films may look alike only to those not curious enough to read within and between the shots of the film, a film that is building an opus that is unique in the history of cinema,” said Berlinale co-chief Carlo Chatrian on Monday. In ‘The Traveler’s Needs, ’ he works for the third time with an A-level actress and shapes with her and the rest of the amazing cast a special comedy that is another light yet piercing take on human relationships.”

“A Traveler’s Needs” stars actors Lee Hye-young and Kwon Hae-hyo, both frequent collaborators of Hong’s, alongside Huppert.

Other films invited to the Competition section of this year’s Berlinale include works by directors who have been invited to the festival in previous years, including “Suspended Time” from Olivier Assayas, “From Hilde, With Love” by Andreas Dresen and “La Cocina” from Alonso Ruizpalacios.

Four other Korean films, including “The Roundup: Punishment,” “Exhuma,” “It’s Okay!” and the short film “Circle," were invited to other sections of the festival.

The 74th Berlinale will begin on Feb. 15 and continue until Feb. 24, while the concurrent European Film Market will take place between Feb. 15 and 21. Actor Lupita Nyong’o will head the international jury at this year’s edition.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]