March 5, 2026
FILM: WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU
DIRECTED BY: HONG SANGSOO
STARRING: HA SEONGGUK, KANG SOYI, KWON HAEHYO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal:
From South Korea, What Does That Nature Say to You, moves along like nature’s wind. It’s a story that takes its lead characters through a day that neither of them planned for but that sweeps them up anyway. We meet a man named Donghwa and a woman, Junee, on the side of a road by the old car he used to pick her up in Seoul. At first, we don’t know if he’s the equivalent of an Uber driver or someone she’s only recently met. They are standing near the front of her family’s home, one that her father built for her grandmother. Like a lot of the film, this scene is shot in one long take without any cuts to close-ups or even a shot of the house. This sets the tone for much of the film: it is filled with long conversations, generally shot from a distance as characters philosophize and talk about life, nature, and poetry.
For viewers used to traditional Hollywood films, this one might be frustrating. Right after this scene we find out that Donghwa and Junee have been dating for three years but this is the first time he is meeting her parents. Why it hasn’t happened earlier is never really explained. Does she fear what they’ll think of him? Is she ashamed? Her father doesn’t seem to know that they’ve been dating as long as they have. For that matter, they feel like a new couple that doesn’t know much about each other either. It’s all very curious and not ever truly resolved.
Most of the film features Donghwa individually meeting her parents and sister. Apparently, no one had any other plans that day because they all suddenly seem available to this unplanned introduction. Donghwa and Junee’s father do develop a bond though. Dad likes Donghwa’s moustache, and they share the vice of smoking. They also very much admire the stunning views of nature around them. The house was built on a landscaped mountain with beautiful foliage and views of another mountain across the way that is perfect for sunsets.
Throughout all these family interactions there aren’t any noticeable conflicts. The conversations just move about the day. Character development becomes more pronounced. We find out Junee’s mom is a writer of poetry, just like Donghwa. Junee’s sister is said to be experiencing some kind of depression but is a music artist herself. Donghwa is a bit aimless, also “moving like the wind” and doing only what moves him. His father is a rich attorney, but Donghwa isn’t interested in material things. His eyes provide him with only blurry vision, clearly a metaphor for his own somewhat distorted vision of the world.
Nothing really comes to any kind of head until the final fifteen minutes of the film when everyone sits down to a rather elaborate dinner, again shot in one long take. They’re drinking and conversation turns to more personal matters and life perspectives. Things get heated. Then we get a scene between the parents where we finally hear what they really think about Donghwa. It’s satisfying to finally get a discussion that feels open and honest. Too much of the narrative before this feels surface and, perhaps appropriately for these characters, a bit intellectualized, not much grounded in reality.
I felt the film went on longer than necessary and that there was a bit much distance, both psychologically and physically, from the characters to the audience. By the end though, the film offers an interesting portrait of a family and the arrival of a potential new member who might not live up to their expectations.
What Does That Nature Say to You played at the Chicago International Film Festival this past Fall. It opens this week at the Gene Siskel Center downtown.
FILM: WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU
DIRECTED BY: HONG SANGSOO
STARRING: HA SEONGGUK, KANG SOYI, KWON HAEHYO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal:
From South Korea, What Does That Nature Say to You, moves along like nature’s wind. It’s a story that takes its lead characters through a day that neither of them planned for but that sweeps them up anyway. We meet a man named Donghwa and a woman, Junee, on the side of a road by the old car he used to pick her up in Seoul. At first, we don’t know if he’s the equivalent of an Uber driver or someone she’s only recently met. They are standing near the front of her family’s home, one that her father built for her grandmother. Like a lot of the film, this scene is shot in one long take without any cuts to close-ups or even a shot of the house. This sets the tone for much of the film: it is filled with long conversations, generally shot from a distance as characters philosophize and talk about life, nature, and poetry.
For viewers used to traditional Hollywood films, this one might be frustrating. Right after this scene we find out that Donghwa and Junee have been dating for three years but this is the first time he is meeting her parents. Why it hasn’t happened earlier is never really explained. Does she fear what they’ll think of him? Is she ashamed? Her father doesn’t seem to know that they’ve been dating as long as they have. For that matter, they feel like a new couple that doesn’t know much about each other either. It’s all very curious and not ever truly resolved.
Most of the film features Donghwa individually meeting her parents and sister. Apparently, no one had any other plans that day because they all suddenly seem available to this unplanned introduction. Donghwa and Junee’s father do develop a bond though. Dad likes Donghwa’s moustache, and they share the vice of smoking. They also very much admire the stunning views of nature around them. The house was built on a landscaped mountain with beautiful foliage and views of another mountain across the way that is perfect for sunsets.
Throughout all these family interactions there aren’t any noticeable conflicts. The conversations just move about the day. Character development becomes more pronounced. We find out Junee’s mom is a writer of poetry, just like Donghwa. Junee’s sister is said to be experiencing some kind of depression but is a music artist herself. Donghwa is a bit aimless, also “moving like the wind” and doing only what moves him. His father is a rich attorney, but Donghwa isn’t interested in material things. His eyes provide him with only blurry vision, clearly a metaphor for his own somewhat distorted vision of the world.
Nothing really comes to any kind of head until the final fifteen minutes of the film when everyone sits down to a rather elaborate dinner, again shot in one long take. They’re drinking and conversation turns to more personal matters and life perspectives. Things get heated. Then we get a scene between the parents where we finally hear what they really think about Donghwa. It’s satisfying to finally get a discussion that feels open and honest. Too much of the narrative before this feels surface and, perhaps appropriately for these characters, a bit intellectualized, not much grounded in reality.
I felt the film went on longer than necessary and that there was a bit much distance, both psychologically and physically, from the characters to the audience. By the end though, the film offers an interesting portrait of a family and the arrival of a potential new member who might not live up to their expectations.
What Does That Nature Say to You played at the Chicago International Film Festival this past Fall. It opens this week at the Gene Siskel Center downtown.