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)

Didi and Amy, working in a massage parlor in Queens, New York, live with other Chinese immigrant women. In this unfamiliar place, they each cope with the responsibilities to their families and their loneliness, struggling to pursue happiness, love, and a sense of normalcy. On New Year’s Day, an overwhelming grief befalls them, and when Amy loses her way in life, it is the Chinese immigrant women who help finding her footing. While the film visualizes the deep-rooted racism, violence, and sexual objectification faced by Asian women in Western society, its more significant focus is on the relationships between these immigrant women—the unexpected solidarity and connections they form through their shared experiences of loss. Set in New York, this film sensitively captures the complex experiences of women in diaspora. (HONG Soin)

YouTube creator Da-kyung (Joo Hyun-young), who specializes in finding real-life horror stories, becomes increasingly dedicated to uncovering scary tales after noticing a drop in subscribers for her channel ‘Horror Queen Da-kyung’. Her latest target is Gwangrim Station, a subway station where mysterious incidents reportedly occur. Although the station master (Jeon Bae-soo) is initially reticent, he gradually reveals the hidden stories of Gwangrim Station, succumbing to Da-kyung’s charming persistence. From this point, the film meticulously constructs episodes that could happen in any public place, generating eerie, confined horror. Holding spooky stories, Ghost Train intensifies the chilling realism and genre pleasure with its slow yet occasionally breathless pacing. It is an intriguing popular film that offers a thrilling blend of horror, humor, and the excitement of ghost stories. (HONG Eunmi)

Director Ryu Hyung-seok, who served as a conscripted firefighter during his mandatory military service, made a documentary about firefighters. Responding to calls from those on the edge of life and death, these modern-day heroes at the Yangsan Firestation and Ulsan Fire Headquarters are the focus of The First Responders. Without voiceover narration or interview shots, the film captures not only the team’s work and daily lives, but also their inner darkness, desires, and the difficult fate inherent in their profession. Here, the camera is not simply a tool for recording but is one of them, acting as their eyes. “Just strip away all emotion and focus on what you need to do,” one firefighter says, and the documentary mirrors this approach, moving steadily forward without being swept up by emotional waves. Yet the film inevitably reaches heart-warming moments. This documentary offers an exceptionally humanistic insight into the profession. (KANG Sowon)

Guillaume Brac, whose career started with stories of the previous generation, now seeks change and balance. While his youth-centered drama All Hands on Deck (2020) and documentary Treasure Island (2018) form a pair, the women-centered July Tales (2017) and So Long are their antithesis. Yet unlike his previous films, which evoke summer and freedom, this documentary has the scent of autumn despite its summer setting, as it focuses on the time of students just before graduation. The teacher’s line that opens the film—“Express yourselves freely”—also reflects the film’s tone. With an affectionate gaze, the camera stays close and calmly observes the students at a pivotal moment. The present of these students, in their world of classes, outdoor activities, and boarding rooms, forms the axis between their past and future. Will the friends who are sad to part be able to meet again? That is a question for the future. Now is time to say goodbye. (LEE Yong Cheol)

Lucas cannot hear sounds, but he grows up with dignity thanks to those who care for him and respect his intelligence. Father Mejor, the priest of the remote fishing village where Lucas lives, is highly respected for promising the development of the village. Behind the scenes, however, he sexually abuses Lucas. Lucas’s mother, who has noticed her son’s strange behavior, is devasted when she discovers the truth. Few people are willing to help them, while most people refuse to listen. The rights of the accused are easily ignored, and those in power do not hesitate to manipulate the outcome of the lawsuit. After presenting Amok (2011) and Shackled (2012), which focused on violence, crime, and justice, director Lawrence Fajardo returns to Busan with a sharper sense of directing. He also remade the Philippine version of A Hard Day (2013) by Kim Seong-hun. The powerful performance of child actor Enzo Osorio, who plays Lucas, is particularly striking. (PARK Sungho)

On the night of a major earthquake, train driver Li attends his elementary school class reunion to see friends he hasn’t seen in years. There, he reconnects with Song Qian, who remembers the story A Water Monster that Li wrote as a child. The two spend the night together, and Li begins to suffer from unexplained headaches. The reunion triggers the resurfacing of painful memories that Li had long suppressed - his father’s disappearance 12 years ago, leaving behind only a camera, and the death of a friend. The film seamlessly blends the present and not-the-present, as well as reality and non-reality, to explore lives engulfed by the trauma of loss. With a layered narrative structure and expressive cinematography that’s evocative of the search for healing, this film marks the emergence of a noteworthy new director. (PARK Sun Young)

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)

Pierre, a railroad worker, is raising his two sons alone. His eldest, Fus, who loves soccer, has become secretive as he starts hanging out with far-right friends, while his younger son, Louis, is about to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. The once close-knit family begins to unravel due to Fus’ wayward behaviors. Pierre tries to reason with his son, who is becoming increasingly violent under the influence of totalitarian ideologies, but to no avail. Eventually, a terrible tragedy befalls the family. The director does not equip Fus with sophisticated language filled with political ideologies and beliefs but rather gives him the body as a tool to express these ideas through intense physicality—sports, dance, and fights. When Fus dances in a trance-like state and others start to appear around him, colliding and dancing wildly, it becomes clear that their movements are not just dance. The performances by Vincent Lindon as Pierre and Benjamin Voisin as Fus leave long-lasting impressions. (LEE Juhyun)

Alma and Beybut are a happy couple expecting their first child. A talented singer-songwriter and guitarist, Beybut is gaining recognition and expanding his career. One day, Beybut meets the charming dancer Zhul and becomes infatuated with her, leading to conflicts with Alma. While the story of a free-spirited musician and the devoted woman waiting for him is too familiar, what sets this narrative apart is its musical format. Unlike his previous works, which were sharply focused on social issues, director Farkhat Sharipov brings this film to life with beautiful music, captivating dance scenes, and, notably, a breathtaking group dance sequence in the stairwell, that are sure to leave a lasting impression on the viewers. (PARK Sun Young)

The Black Dog is about Mo, a husband and father, who worries a lot about losing his wife to cancer and raising their 10-year-old daughter alone. His daughter finds him crying out in his sleep. (PARK Sungho)

“Retirement is not on my mind, and I find joy in continuing to work and create new stories.” This is what the 82-year-old maestro Marco Bellocchio says. The first chapter of his comedy short film series May I Say? Chapter 1, first released in 2021, begins with 50-year-old Fausto returning to his hometown of Bobbio after his mother’s death. Fausto, who often approaches strangers with somewhat rude advice, always starts with, “May I say?” This reflects the director’s own critical and comic observation of Italian society. The second chapter, introduced today, takes place three years after his mother’s death. Fausto, who still lives in his mother’s house, has no intention of working. Several people visit him one after the other, encouraging him to sell the house. Fausto responds to these hypocritical visitors without being aggressive, stating that he will not change his way of life. This amusing and refreshing short film series clearly reflects Bellocchio’s pursuit of complete independence, much like the characters in his own films, with no concern for honor. (SEO Seunghee)