Nowhere to Lay My Eyes

Experimental filmmaker Sanghee (Kim Min-hee) arrives from Seoul to a windswept Jeju Island to visit her mother and meet her new stepfather (Kwon Hae-hyo). The two have grown increasingly distant, so the presence of Sanghee’s responsible, matter-of-fact brother and fawning stepsister offer some relief from the tension. Director Hong Sangsoo (What Does That Nature Say to You, By the Stream) observes this newly constituted family unit as they get to know one another, finding profound meaning in each subtle gesture and slight remark. Nowhere to Lay My Eyes contemplates aging, parenthood, and artistic expression as it teases out the complexities inherent in balancing a creative life with a “responsible” one.