This is the latest work by Iranian master Mohsen Makhmalbaf, who has long been interested in the political issues of Afghanistan. To examine the deteriorating relations between Palestine and Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, the director walks into the heart of Jerusalem, a city that has been a holy site for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity for centuries, where tension and hatred have become a daily reality. Even though Jews and Muslims live in the same building, they do not communicate with each other and occasionally attack one another. However, the residents, from their respective positions and perspectives, ponder solutions for coexistence and peace between Muslims and Jews. The film captures the grim atmosphere of the city and the voices of its inhabitants without exaggeration, while also showing that the future of the city lies with the bright-eyed children who currently cannot play together. It is a fine piece that affirms the power and role of the camera in capturing reality. (JO Ji-hoon)

Jinwoo (Jin-young) and his friends, who are each experiencing the peak of their puberty, have their own unique interests and causes of trouble. The one common interest among them is Seon-ah (Da-hyun), the model student who embodies both grace and beauty. To them, Seon-ah looks like an unattainable dream, even though she’s in the same class. Despite their contrasting personalities and academic performances, Jin-woo and Seon-ah develop a close bond by showing interest in each other’s different sides. Their relationship navigates through the lovey-dovey and bittersweet phases of high school and into the heart of their poignant youth. You Are the Apple of My Eye, a stylish remake of the Taiwanese film of the same name, vividly captures the lively moments of young people in the 2000s, the nuanced emotions of first love, and the intricate journey of first love over 15 years. (HONG Eunmi)

Seventeen-year-old Ze attends a modern school in Ulaanbaatar, while also leading a traditional life as a shaman and communing with ancestral spirits. Unlike his older sister, who is grappling with the gap between urban life and traditions, Ze appears to maintain a good balance. When he goes to perform a rite for Maralaa, a rebellious and unstable girl of his age who is about to undergo surgery, he finds himself drawn to her, igniting a desire within him. City of Wind centers on the teenage protagonists on the cusp of adulthood and questions the values and the boundaries between individual desires and communal responsibilities, tradition and modern, urban and rural, and realistic life and spiritual life. The uncertainties, confusion, and loneliness that the teens face in this film reflect the anxieties of Mongolia’s youth in a society undergoing rapid changes. The film won the Orizzonti Best Actor Award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. (HONG Soin)

Raoul Peck, known for I Am Not Your Negro (2016), traces the life of photo-grapher Ernest Cole in Ernest Cole: Lost and Found. After publishing a photo book documenting the realities of South African people under apartheid in his twenties, Cole was forgotten by the public and died in poverty and isolation in New York in 1990 while in exile. Peck delves into Cole’s life, as if he wants to dive into Cole’s heart. He calls Cole back to life through about 60,000 negative films that were unexpectedly discovered. The first-person narration is written by Raoul Peck himself (Peck narrates the French version) based on the testimonies of the people he knows, reportage, and notes. Hundreds of harrowing yet moving photographs intertwine with the photographer’s life. What did Ernest Cole witness in America, having fled apartheid? The photographer’s desperate monologue, “I want to go back to my country, but I cannot,” is repeated multiple times. Did Raoul Peck, who fled Haiti at a young age to escape dictatorship, see a reflection of himself in this unfortunate photographer? Ernest Cole: Lost and Found restores Cole’s place as one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century and deservedly so. (SEO Seunghee)

When talking about the October 26 Incident of 1979, how many people remember Park Heung-ju, the secretary to the Director of the KCIA at the time? Land of Happiness brings to the forefront this man who was at the center of the incident but was quickly erased from history, executed by firing squad in just 16 days. Lee Sun-kyun portrays Park Tae-ju, a soldier inspired by this figure. From his resolute professional consciousness as a soldier who won’t abandon orders and rules, to the guilt of a man willing to pay the price for historical sins, and to the human spirit striving to remain dignified until the end. Lee Sun-kyun’s voice resonates deeper than ever, heavy yet calm; his proud profile cast in deep shadows; his posture upright and unwavering in the courtroom; his voice faintly trembling as if mixed with subtle tears in the final moments. We come to understand what it means for a single person to bear the full weight of history while caught in its whirlwind. This is Lee Sun-kyun’s final work. (JEONG Jihye)

Recording engineer Seong-hyeon is troubled by a request for post-production dubbing. The leading actress, Mi-jeong, has passed away, and no one knows the content of the ad-libs she performed in a crucial scene of the film. Minor actress Min-young visits Seong-hyeon’s studio to record Mi-jeong’s lines, but the director who was supposed to come is nowhere to be found. Humming stimulates a sense of mystery and imagination against the backdrop of a secluded hill and a shabby recording studio. The film intertwines conversations between Seong-hyeon and Min-young, Seong-hyeon’s memories of the deceased Mi-jeong, and scenes from the film Seong-hyeon and Mi-jeong worked on together, placing itself at an angle between reality and cinema, life and death. It unfolds like a languid and bizarre midday farce or a chilling and sorrowful ghost story, gently touching upon the secretive and significant moments of the world. (JUNG Hanseok)

In a small village hospital on the outskirts of Mongolia, a hostage situation unfolds. The perpetrator holds the village’s only doctor, along with nurses, a cook, and patients, demanding an enormous ransom. As the local police, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the crisis, struggle to handle the situation, a veteran detective named Davaa arrives from the city. Despite his efforts to navigate the harsh conditions,—lacking proper resources or support—he finds himself increasingly helpless as more hostages are killed. Set against the desolate landscape of inner Mongolia, the hostage situation unfolds skillfully within the conventions of the thriller genre. However, as time goes on, Davaa’s growing sense of helplessness and despair diverges from typical crime drama conventions, exposing the incompetence and corruption of the police leadership and politicians. Director Batsukh Baatar, who began his career as a cinematographer, captivates viewers with his striking visuals. (PARK Sun Young)

In Parasite, secrets and lies, deceit and pretense, and manipulation and fraud thrive within the opulent estate of Park Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun), the successful CEO of an IT company. Dong-ik, who appears to have it all—wealth, honor, a loving wife, and children—seems outwardly kind and benevolent, but in reality, he harbors an unmasked disdain and contempt for others. Lee Sun-kyun accurately captures and conveys Dong-ik’s hypocrisy and vulgarity. His portrayal includes a grandiose yet sly smile, an ambiguous gaze that suggests both understanding and obscurity, and a demeanor that, while pretending otherwise, exudes arrogance and condescension. It’s the actor’s clever gestures that both conceal and reveal Dong-ik’s arrogance and obsession, who has his own standards for judging others and absolutely refuses to tolerate anything that crosses that line. Particularly, Dong-ik’s contemptuous glances and gestures, especially towards poverty and the vulnerable, are the film’s pivotal moments, adding a striking touch to the climax of Parasite. (JEONG Jihye)

A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when old tensions between the odd couple resurface against the backdrop of their family history. A Real Pain is a 2024 comedy drama film, written, directed, and produced by American actor Jesse Eisenberg. With this funny and emotional drama, Jesse Eisenberg clearly displays impressive talent in directing and writing. Plus, Kieran Culkin delivers a superb performance throughout the film, stealing the show. When it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, it became an audience favorite, with Jesse Eisenberg winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. A Real Pain is his second feature film after When You Finish Saving the World (2022).

In the dead of night, Nadira escapes from a brothel in Delhi after fatally stabbing a police superintendent. With the law hot on her heels, she takes temporary shelter in a Northern Indian community of sex workers, assuming the Hindu name Renuka. There, she crosses paths with Devika, a young girl bound by a religious tradition condemning her to a life of prostitution. As their bond deepens into a forbidden romance, Devika defies her tyrannical mother and the oppressive age-old system, joining Renuka on a perilous journey through a treacherous maze of violence and brutality, all in the hope of outrunning the law and attaining their freedom. The Shameless is directed and written by Konstantin Bojanov. It was invited to the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, and Anasuya Sengupta who plays Renuka won the Best Performance Award.

The man in pajamas on the bed with a dog is Leos Carax. But it is also not him. This director’s double, who first appeared in Holy Motors (2012), moves from his room to a theater filled with ghostly spectators. In It’s Not Me, Leos Carax once again invites us on a dreamlike journey filled with the ghosts of cinema. The first of these ghosts is Jean-Luc Godard, whose voice plays through Carax’s answering machine. Carax collages archival footage of pivotal 20th-century events, such as the 1939 American Nazi Party rally at Madison Square Garden, with more recent images. Carax’s narration – distant and echoing just like Godard’s – overlaps with them. Carax and Godard share a pessimism about humanity’s future, observing how little we have learned from our past mistakes. It’s Not Me is also a personal reflection on Carax’s own cinematic history. Bad Blood and The Lovers on the Bridge... Here, too, the ghosts return: David Bowie and actors from Pola X, who have since passed. Yet It’s Not Me is not a mournful film. Carax’s daughter symbolizes hope, and the small puppet from Annette re-enacts Denis Lavant’s unforgettable sprint from Bad Blood. For Carax, the driving force behind his pursuit of cinema lies in youth and its vitality. (SEO Seunghee)