大象传媒

Inyeon is a Korean word that has its roots in the Buddhist belief that two people can have a spiritual, predestined bond between them, developed over time through various reincarnations of past lives. It describes the connection between two humans who are meant to be together in some way.

"Inyeon is an eastern philosophy concept, its Buddhist, and is sort of rooted in this notion that destiny is not something you go get but is something that just walks in the door," says South Korean-Canadian film director Celine Song.

"When you go to Korea you're going to hear the word inyeon five times a day," says Celine, adding, "You can really talk about every encounter you have as inyeon."

Her directorial debut flim Past Lives, really takes the idea of inyeon to heart, as it follows the story of childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung, whose love for each other is challenged when Nora's family emigrate. When they reconnect some 12 years later, as adults on other sides of the world, they begin to question whether their childhood crushes were fleeting after all, but in the end, both must come to terms that they are developing something that is completely impossible.

(Photo: Celine Song attends the Past Lives photo call during the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin, 2023. Credit: Dominique Charriau/Getty Images)

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