Fukuoka
The return of Zhang Lü, the director of A Quiet Dream, a hit among Wrocław audiences at the 17th New Horizons. In Fukuoka, which premiered at the Berlinale, the director tells the story of Jea-moon, a middle-aged man leading a steady life as the owner of a small bookstore. The monotony of his existence is broken, however, when he becomes friends with the eccentric So-dam, who persuades him to travel with her to the Japanese city of Fukuoka. This spontaneous journey leads Jea-moon to a fateful confrontation with his past. As is typical of Zhang, the film’s plot combines realism and fantasy, comedy and melancholy. The importance that the director places on dialogue, which is both natural-sounding and brilliant, should appeal to all fans of Hong Sang-soo, an association that is reinforced by the fact that one of the main roles in the film is played by the Korean director’s favorite actor, Hae-hyo Kwon (The Day After, Yourself and Yours, In Another Country).
Zhang Lu
Born in China in 1962, Zhang Lü is of Korean heritage. He gained fame as a novelist and short-story writer, and he also taught Chinese literature at Yanbian University. His first short film resulted from his collaboration with a friend who was a director. He has been fond of saying ever since that “he divorced literature and married film.” In his films, he focuses mainly on portraying Koreans living in China. As a highly regarded independent film director, he has been a guest at festivals all over the world.
Selected filmography
2003 Tang shi / Tang Poetry
2005 Ziarno w uchu / Mang zhong / Grain in Ear
2008 Iri
2010 Dooman River
2016 Cichy sen / Chun-mong / A Quiet Dream