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Return to Seoul + Q&A with Laure Badufle
Institute of Contemporary Arts
Films
A Korean woman and her friend sit with her birth father on plastic chairs by the water, with soju and food
Return to Seoul, dir. Davy Chou, France / Germany / Belgium / Cambodia / Qatar 2022, 119 min., French, Korean & English with English subtitles, 15

Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, is an unpredictable and refreshingly authentic story of a young woman’s search for identity, and of the ever-shifting relationships that shape it.

Freddie (Park Ji-min) was adopted when she was very young, born in South Korea and raised in France. She’s magnetic, spirited and hard to pin down; never in one place, or with one person, for long enough to get attached. At 25 years old, Freddie makes an impulsive decision to visit Seoul for the first time since her adoption, in an attempt to reconnect with her biological parents and the culture she had to leave behind.

Featuring a revelatory performance from newcomer Park Ji-min, this bittersweet journey of self-discovery sees Freddie travel from South Korea’s vibrant, neon-soaked capital to its tranquil port cities, in search of a better understanding of her own identity, culture and home.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Laure Badufle, who inspired the character of Freddie, and hosted by Debbie Iromlou.
This screening is presented in partnership with MUBI and The Adult Adoptee Movement.

The Adult Adoptee Movement is a UK based group of inclusive adult adoptees. Formed by using lived experience to challenge attitudes on historic adoption and to change the narrative of adoption.
 
Ticket information
  • All tickets that do not require ID (full price, disabled, income support) can be printed at home or stored in email
  • For aged-based concession tickets (under 25, student and pensioner) please bring relevant ID to collect at the front desk before the event.

All films are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated, and start with a 10 min. curated selection of trailers.

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