'Two Seasons, Two Strangers': Blue Summer and Snowy Landscapes in the Heart of Winter... A Time for Healing

[Financial News] As Japanese filmmakers continue to gain international recognition, the new film 'Two Seasons, Two Strangers' directed by Miyake Sho and starring Shim Eun-kyung will be released in Korea on the 10th. The film received critical acclaim after winning the top prize, the Golden Leopard, at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland last August.
Director Miyake Sho is known as a 'quiet yet powerful emotional director' and a 'subtle observer.' In this work as well, the camera closely follows the characters’ daily lives, with a composition that leaves room for interpretation and visuals that stimulate the senses.
The film weaves together two of Yoshiharu Tsuge’s manga—'Nejishiki' (1967) and 'Mr. Ben of Honyarado' (1968)—using a unique frame narrative.
Lee, a Korean screenwriter in a slump (played by Shim Eun-kyung), embarks on a winter journey and meets Ben, the innkeeper who runs a snowy mountain lodge alone. The story first presents a summer tale of two young people who meet by chance in a seaside village—depicted as a film within the film written by Lee—before shifting to Lee’s unexpected winter journey at the snow-covered inn.
The summer segment awakens the senses with rolling blue waves, the fierce wind sweeping through the forest before a typhoon, and the subtle tension in the everyday conversations between the two young protagonists. In contrast, the winter story brings laughter through the unexpected nighttime escapade of the two characters amid the tranquil, snow-laden landscape.
At a press event held on the 2nd at CGV Yongsan I PARK MALL in Seoul, director Miyake Sho expressed, “I hope that people who live diligently day by day can take a brief respite through this film and find renewed strength to continue.” He also emphasized his fondness for theaters, noting, “There are experiences that can only be felt in the darkness of a cinema.”
Asked why he chose to intertwine two different stories, Miyake Sho replied, “I thought it would be fascinating to experience both summer and winter in a single film.” He added, “In this work, I wanted to capture the wind—from the calm before it blows to the moment it surges. I wanted to portray all those changes on screen. In the darkness of the theater, I believe you can feel the wind not only with your eyes and ears but even on your skin.”
In the film, when Ben learns that Lee is a screenwriter, he shares that he enjoys works where the sadness of life is tinged with humor. When asked if this reflects his own philosophy, Miyake Sho agreed to some extent but offered a different perspective.
Miyake Sho said, “I hope that after watching the film, viewers’ senses will be changed, even if just a little. Even if a film doesn’t completely overturn one’s ideology, I find it interesting when even a subtle shift occurs.” He continued, “Like Lee’s lines in the film, I hope viewers can break free from the confines of words and step away from fixed ideas. That process, I believe, is the true journey that cinema offers.”
'Two Seasons, Two Strangers' is an example of international collaboration with a Korean actor in the lead role. Miyake Sho commented, “Collaboration enriches life. While a journey can mean leaving home and heading somewhere, life itself can also be seen as a journey.” He shared his philosophy that meeting new actors and making films is itself a journey, just as our lives are.


jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter