A TRAVELER’S NEEDS Luminaries

Reuniting with prolific Korean director Hong Sang-soo for the third time, Isabelle Huppert stars as Iris, an eccentric French teacher making her way in Seoul. Clad in a bright green cardigan, she meets with a trio of students and probes their psyches to reveal an emotional truth worth translating. Her unorthodox methods are often accompanied by glasses of makgeolli, a milky Korean rice wine. As her day winds down, she returns to the apartment she shares with Inguk (Hong regular Ha Seongguk), a sweet young man who insists on hiding his roguish roommate from his overbearing mother. Are they friends? Something more? Huppert’s wry delivery brings a light touch to this elusive, fish-out-of-water comedy that brings new depths to her collaboration with Hong. The Grand Jury Prize winner at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, A TRAVELER’S NEEDS is a must-watch for Hong and Huppert aficionados alike. –Josh Gardner