Z365" or "Festival all year round" is the new strategic point of the Festival in which converge investigation, accompaniment and development of new talents (Ikusmira Berriak, Nest); training and cinematic knowledge transfer (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Zinemaldia + Plus, Filmmakers' dialogue); and investigation, disclosure and cinematic thought (Z70 project, Thought and Discussion and Research and publications).
Yeohaengjaui Pilyo is the third film that Isabelle Huppert has made with the Korean director Hong Sangsoo. Asked about how her relationship with him has evolved, she replies that the magic she felt working with him this time is practically the same as when they first met. However, the shooting process has become much more stripped down and, apart from the actors, the only people on set were him and a sound engineer. “He is in charge of the lighting, the music, the script... He handles absolutely everything.”
In the film, she plays a French teacher who avoids clichés when it comes to teaching useful phrases to her students. Asked whether this meant that Yeohaengjaui Pilyo aimed to be a manifesto against superficiality, she agreed. “Language is a powerful weapon; no phrase should be gratuitous.”
As for whether cinema is becoming more trivial and banal, she says that if she has to talk about her own work, it’s actually quite the opposite, although she’s aware that not everyone has the possibilities that she has: “that’s precisely why I like to give free rein to my curiosity and try things out in different registers with different filmmakers.” This has led her to work all over the world: “I’m not afraid of the unknown. Getting settled into a specific type of film or role is boring for me. This profession is all about taking risks. And apart from that, working in different countries is something that enriches you culturally.”