The Day She Returns (2026)

The Day She Returns is a quiet South Korean drama from Hong Sang-soo about Bae Jeongsu, a middle-aged actress returning to work after years away from the screen. During a press tour for her new independent film, she gives a series of interviews before attending an acting class where she is asked to recreate what she has said.

Song Seon-mi leads the film alongside Cho Yun-hee and Park Mi-so. Hong's minimalist approach relies on long conversations, static compositions and subtle shifts in behavior, creating a reflective story about memory, performance, aging and the relationship between an actor's public and private selves.

• Written, directed, photographed and edited by Hong Sang-soo.
• It is his 34th feature film.
• The film is shot in black and white and runs approximately 84 minutes.
• It premiered in the Panorama section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
• It was selected for the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival.