Credit: Press

Watch the trailer for Celine Song’s stunning romantic drama ‘Past Lives’ starring Greta Lee

Wed 22 February 2023 18:06, UK

The trailer for Celine Song’s debut feature, Past Lives, has just been released. The film was recently screened at Sundance Film Festival, receiving high acclaim from the audience.

The romantic drama follows Nora, played by Greta Lee, a woman who reconnects with her childhood best friend, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), after decades apart. The pair were incredibly close as children – their friendship bordering on romance. After losing contact due to Nora’s family relocating from Seoul to Canada, when Nora meets Hae Sung in person again, she is married to Arthur (John Magaro). Past Lives follows Nora and Hae Sung as they reconnect in New York, where the former works as a playwright. They spend time reflecting on their lives and the potential romance that could’ve blossomed if Nora had never moved away.

Since its debut at Sundance, Past Lives has also been shown at Berlin International Film Festival earlier this week. Critics have been raving about the film so far, praising the performances of each cast member, Song’s impressive direction and the well-written script, also penned by the filmmaker. IndieWire surveyed 367 critics for their favourite movies from Sundance, with Past Lives coming in at number two after Chloe Domont’s Fair Play.

Song recently discussed the script with Screen Daily: “I talk about the script as my seduction technique. I’m a first-time filmmaker and I’ve come from theatre, so I don’t have shorts. It’s the script that convinced A24, my crew and my cast that I can do this.” She also shared that the film is based on her own life, finding inspiration after reconnecting with an old childhood friend. However, “I want to make sure his personal life is his; we’re amazing platonic friends. It is first and foremost a story. It’s speaking about the truth about who I am, what these characters are capable of, and what they choose to do. But it’s a film that I made — it’s not a documentary.”

A release date has not yet been announced. Check out the trailer below.