Hill of Freedom
Directed byHong Sang-soo
Written byHong Sang-soo
Produced byKim Kyoung-hee
StarringRyo Kase
Moon So-ri
CinematographyPark Hong-yeol
Edited byHahm Sung-won
Music byJeong Yong-jin
Production
company
Jeonwonsa Films
Distributed byFinecut
Release dates
  • September 2, 2014 (2014-09-02) (Venice Film Festival)
  • September 4, 2014 (2014-09-04) (South Korea)
Running time
67 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguagesKorean
English
Japanese
Box officeUS$292,411[1]

Hill of Freedom (Korean: 자유의 언덕; RR: Jayuui Eondeok) is a 2014 South Korean arthouse film written and directed by Hong Sang-soo.[2][3][4][5] It premiered in the Orizzonti ("Horizons") section of the 71st Venice International Film Festival,[6][7] and won Best Film at the 34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and the 36th Three Continents Festival.[8][9] Hill of Freedom also made The New Yorker's list of Best Undistributed Films of 2014.[10]

Plot

Japanese language teacher Mori arrives in Seoul to track down Kwon, a South Korean woman he fell for several years ago. Mori arrives in Bukchon, a neighborhood in the center of the city which has a tranquil atmosphere and historical background. Hoping for a chance to see her, he stays at a guesthouse near Kwon's old home, and he's befriended by the elderly owner, Gu-ok, and her broke but sociable nephew Sang-won. Mori begins to frequent Jiyugaoka ("Hill of Freedom"), a local coffee shop owned by Young-sun, where he writes letters to Kwon. Then even though Young-sun already has a boyfriend, she and Mori become lovers.[11]

Cast

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014 34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Best Film Hill of Freedom Won
Critics' Top 10 Hill of Freedom Won
36th Three Continents Festival Best Film Hill of Freedom Won
2015 20th Chunsa Film Art Awards[13] Best Director (Grand Prix) Hong Sang-soo Nominated
9th Asian Film Awards[14] Best Film Hill of Freedom Nominated
Best Director Hong Sang-soo Nominated
Best Actor Ryo Kase Nominated
2nd Wildflower Film Awards[15] Best Director (Narrative Film) Hong Sang-soo Won
Best Actor Ryo Kase Nominated
Best Actress Moon So-ri Nominated
Best Screenplay Hong Sang-soo Nominated
51st Baeksang Arts Awards Best Director Hong Sang-soo Nominated
24th Buil Film Awards Best Film Hill of Freedom Nominated
Best Director Hong Sang-soo Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Hill of Freedom (2014)". www.koreanfilm.or.kr.
  2. ^ Lodge, Guy (2 September 2014). "Venice Film Review: Hill of Freedom". Variety. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  3. ^ Elley, Derek (10 September 2014). "Hill of Freedom". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  4. ^ Anderson, John (11 September 2014). "Toronto Review: Hong Sang-soo's Hill of Freedom is Full of Soul". Indiewire. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  5. ^ Brody, Richard (27 September 2014). "Hong Sang-soo's Hill of Freedom". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  6. ^ Conran, Pierce (5 September 2014). "Korean Masters on Show in Venice". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  7. ^ "Hong Sang-soo's Latest Film Receives Rave Reviews at Venice Film Fest". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  8. ^ Conran, Pierce (4 November 2014). "Top Honors for HILL OF FREEDOM at 34th Korean Film Critics Association Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  9. ^ Ahn, Sung-mi (3 December 2014). "Hong's Hill of Freedom wins top film award in Nantes". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  10. ^ Brody, Richard (11 December 2014). "The Best Movies of 2014". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
  11. ^ Yun, Ina (22 September 2014). "(In Focus) Hill of Freedom: Hong Sang-soo's daring new film, alternately funny and haunting". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  12. ^ Lee, Eun-sun; Lee, Sung-eun (5 September 2014). "Looking for love in Bukchon". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  13. ^ Ma, Kevin (9 March 2015). "Hard Day leads Chunsa Film Art nominations". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  14. ^ Yoon, Ina (4 March 2015). "Korean Films and Artists Nominated for the Asian Film Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  15. ^ Ma, Kevin (1 April 2015). "Girl at My Door leads Wildflower nominations". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-01.

External links

Films directed by Hong Sang-soo
Categories