Directed by Davy Chou, Return to Seoul follows Freddie, a young French-Korean woman adopted and raised in France, who unexpectedly finds herself on a trip to South Korea, the country of her birth. What begins as a visit to reconnect with friends evolves into a deeply affecting and uncharted journey as Freddie grapples with her roots, her fractured sense of identity, and the weight of her own choices, and those made for her.

This film is presented as part of Exposure: In Bloom, in which radio host, journalist, and programmer of the Exposure cinema series Brandon Shillingford selects films exploring the complexities of the coming-of-age experience. Each screening will conclude with a brief discussion facilitated by Shillingford and ICA Assistant Curator Egbert Vongmalaithong.

Doors open at 6 PM with the screening starting at 7 PM.

Series Description: The ICA invites Brandon Shillingford, radio host, journalist, and programmer of the Exposure cinema series, to select films exploring the complexities of the coming-of-age experience. This series explores the transformative power of these periods in our lives to uncover narrative, visual, and sonic connections that run through each of them. Each screening will conclude with a brief discussion facilitated by Shillingford and ICA Assistant Curator Egbert Vongmalaithong.

Thursday, June 5: The Spirit of the Beehive (dir. Víctor Erice 1973)
Tuesday, June 10: Peppermint Soda (dir. Diane Kurys 1977)
Thursday, June 12: Alma’s Rainbow (dir. Ayoka Chenzira 1994)
Tuesday, June 17: Moving (dir. Shinji Sōmai 1988)
Tuesday, June 24: Return to Seoul (dir. Davy Chou 2022)