At the end of last year we learned that Film Movement picked up four new 4K restorations of the films of Lee Chang-dong: Green Fish (1997), Peppermint Candy (1999), Oasis (2002), and Poetry (2010). Now today finally brings news of when we’ll be able to see them. New York City’s Metrograph Theater announced their retrospective Novel Encounters: the Films of Lee Chang-dong, taking place April 5-27, featuring the four aforementioned restorations as well as Burning, Secret Sunshine, and Ouni Lecomte’s A Brand New Life (which Lee co-wrote) and July Jung’s A Girl at My Door (which Lee produced).
“We are thrilled to present a retrospective of Lee Chang-dong’s outstanding body of work, celebrating him as one of the most esteemed auteurs in contemporary cinema,” said Metrograph’s Director of Programming Inge de Leeuw. “Each film in this retrospective delves into the profound complexities of the human condition. As big admirers of his filmmaking, we are delighted to bring his compassionate films to the big screen and we are proud to work with the North American distributor Film Movement to present the restored versions of his early films to our audiences, offering a unique opportunity to experience the depth of his storytelling in the cinematic realm.”
“It brings me great delight and thrill to hold my retrospective at the esteemed Metrograph, renowned as a cherished haven for cinephiles in New York,” said Lee Chang-dong. “The six films curated for this retrospective each serve as vessels for my earnest contemplations on life, society, and humanity, each in their own way. I hope that as you, the audience, engage with these films, you may ponder these questions and find your own answers.”
Ahead of the retrospective watch new trailers for the 4K restorations of two of the selections.
