PAST LIVES
Scene from Past Lives. 📷 A24 Films.
February 18, 2024 — Celine Song’s film Past Lives (2023) is a character study that beautifully portrays longing, empathy, love, and questions about identity.
In her directorial debut, Song embraces a philosophy that was famously expressed by the late Nora Ephron, — the notion that “Everything is copy” — or that everything that happens in life is inspiration for the written word. In line with this philosophy, Song brings a story inspired by her own life to the screen.
In the most meta moment of the movie, Nora (Greta Lee) is talking in bed with her husband Arthur (John Magaro) about her childhood friend Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) who is visiting her in New York from Korea. “I was just thinking about what a good story this is,” says Arthur.
It is a good story, and I’m glad Song decided to take her “everything” and make it into this movie, which explores the connection between Na Young (later Nora) and Hae Sung, the childhood friend she leaves behind in Korea when she and her family immigrate to Canada.
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