How director Celine Song hopes you'll feel about Past Lives | BAFTA

Past Lives Director Celine Song delves deep into the casting of the film, the creative techniques she used to make key moments feel real for the actors and how her first film has helped slay her dragons.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:15 How Past Lives came about
01:12 Casting Nora and Hae Sung
04:29 Clip: Nora and Hae Sung as children
05:30 Creating chemistry
08:42 Clip: The first scene
09:48 The hardest scene
12:08 Clip: What if?
12:50 Slaying three dragons
16:17 Clip: One more time
16:59 Audience reception

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[Belx]

The husband, Arthur, feels like the hero in the film for me. His vulnerability is powerful. How he can hold space in the discomfort seeing his wife talking to a possible competition yet not controlling her and still trusting her maturity that she knows what to do and how to navigate this experience in their marriage. Also, giving her the space to explore the what ifs in her life and in her past so she can have the closure that she needed. And how he didn't judge her when she cried at the last scene. Now that is love.

[raydanz]

The very last scene got me... The cathartic release of many years of pent-up.

[owenL]

If ever a film was a poem, this one was it.
Why is the aching surging agony of Love so so beautiful, divine and compelling?

[AUDIONOIR]

I find it incredulous that this is Celine's directorial debut! What a way to start! With a cinematic masterpiece no less! Casting, cinematography & acting richly congruent. In particular, the silent moments project more words than the script itself! Utterly riveting and powerful. Celine has immense poise and tenderness in this body of work. Like an old, old soul! A masterful, bittersweet proposition in humanity. Congrats on your Oscar/s too!

[listemp]

I personally believe the last scene, with Arthur hugging Nora, is so touching also because it makes us realize the movie is, indeed, a love story, but the central couple is Nora and her husband. Such an amazing film.

[motleyd]

Fun fact: Celine Song's dad was actually a filmmaker, just like the heroine's dad in the movie. He only made two movies before he quit altogether and immigrated to Canada with his family. The first of these, "Number 3, " featured a performance by Song Kang-ho (i.e. the lead in “Parasite”) that is still talked about today.

[ikd]

I felt impressed by the film's ability to have such well written characters and elicit real emotion without resorting to the usual clichés we see in most Hollywood movies. For being her directorial debut, she did a fantastic job, as did the actors. Great film.

[Bayuuk]

I think it’s great she wrote 3 very relatable characters. From Nora who shows that kind of youthful passion we have, ambition that drives us to do great things. Arthur shows the insecurities we can all have within a relationship, but the emotional maturity to know things are okay. Hae sung is the optimist yet broken hearted man, who gets his closure. It’s a remarkable piece of media

[Fredlyy]

The way she talks so passionately about her film is so inspiring

[Gincal]

Celine, I was crying in the start because I knew where it was heading. I was crying in the middle because I knew where they had come from and I knew where it was heading. I was crying at the end because I had known all along where it was heading. And I cried during the night and I am crying the following day. This is a cosmic story indeed, everyone sees so much subtelty and so much reality and relatability, so much candor and understanding in the characters, it's definitely not a niche theme either, this one is a keeper. Thank you for having believed in yourself and in your story. Beauty in simplicity. Beauty in everyday stories.

[cokocoko]

This movie tugged at my heart strings in so many unexpected ways. I think the most brilliant scene was the ending when you think Nora is holding it all together as Hae Sung rides away in a taxi but then when Nora is walking back home she suddenly begins quickening her pace, hurrying to meet Arthur's familiar and warm embrace. He almost anticipates her reaction and comes quickly to comfort her. It's the real love that you see demonstrated in that simple, powerful moment that juxtaposes the idealistic and almost whimsical love between Nora and Hae Sung that I believe ties up this brilliant movie.

[timoleary]

This film is 100% under my skin, 3 times at the cinema so far and I still want more . . . my film of the year, no question.

Bravo Celine Song, bravo.

[robin]

Not only was this movie so moving and memorable it was (imo) a masterclass in storytelling and movie making. All film studies classes should use it as a case study.

[phoushaiyang]

I love Celine’s intentionality! It made the film feel more realistic and I agree chemistry between people is often overlooked in big Hollywood films because they’re “big names” but the chemistry and tension was so strong. She pulled on my heartstrings throughout the entire film and I enjoyed watching their story unfold. And then *tears*.

[mubhceeb]

Past Lives is a truly wonderful film and I found it incredibly moving.
Congratulations to everyone involved.

[Jackiedu]

Cinematic masterpiece. Deserves international recognition! The best movie I’ve seen in the past 5 years.

[YiYantheArtist]

I moved to the US when I was 16 and this movie definitely hit in a way that’s very personal and poignant for me. I cried and cried and cried again after the theater experience and still feel tears welling up every time I watch clips from it.

[asadkhan]

By far my favourite film of the year. Should at the very least get Oscar nominations for best Director, Best actress, Best Film and hopefully will win Best Original Screenplay.

[drr]

Got to be in the running for Oscars. Best film of the year. Acting unbelievable. So emotional.

[Freebird-lc]

Its so wonderful to listen to the creator of the movie talking about the movie and process that involved making the movie . Gives a more deeper understanding of the movie .