Greatly forgotten on the list of winners of the Deauville Festival, Past Lives – Our lives before, first movie by Celine Song upset many festival-goers before filling up with rewards in the USA. This delicate fable tells how a thwarted childhood love can evolve when, separated by life and distance, the platonic lovers meet again at 20 and then at 30.
“It’s a film that evokes the existences that we could have had like the different paths taken by beings who could have lived a beautiful story,” Celine Song confides to 20 minutes. The boy who stayed in South Korea has not forgotten his 12-year-old friend. She found happiness in the United States but feels the past rushing back when he comes to visit her.
The Choices of Life
“Each encounter shapes who we are,” insists the director. Everyone then evolves in their own way by making personal choices that separate or unite. » The bitter sweetness of this deliciously romantic work makes you think about failed loves while piercing the heart. “There are no perfect solutions,” explains Celine Song. Everyone does their best as they can but that also means that we must be capable of renunciation. »
The terms “independent cinema” have been much overused but Past Song – our lives before fits them perfectly. This delicate little marvel has everything it takes to create a surprise at the box office as long as a curious public rushes to discover it. As in Deauville, word of mouth will ensure the great career we hope for him and will boost sales of paper tissues.