Past Lives

The role played by chance and circumstance in our lives is delicately explored in Celine Song’s poignant feature debut that follows the shared histories of two young Koreans as their paths interweave across continents and timelines. The story begins 24 years ago in Seoul, where the developing crush between preteens Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) is abruptly curtailed when her family migrates to Toronto. They reconnect 12 years later when Hae Sung tracks Nora down on Facebook and, picking up their friendship on Skype, learns that she is a playwright living in New York, and is married to Arthur (John Magaro), a novelist, an inconvenience given Hae Sung’s expectations as to how their newly rekindled relationship might develop. The conflict between romantic longing and sober pragmatism is central to this wise, beautifully performed film.