The film is segmented into a series of three goodbyes between two childhood sweethearts: Na Young (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo). Through her direction, Song explores the various stages of their fragmented relationship over the course of 24 years. At twelve years old, Na Young and her family emigrate to Canada from Korea, leaving behind her budding relationship with Hae Sung and their life in Korea. Twelve years later, Na Young- now Nora, is studying to become a playwright in New York and Hae Sung, an engineering student back in Korea. The two reunite over skype, instantly reigniting the spark that was present twelve years ago. However, neither are ready to up and leave their respective homes at this time in their lives, therefore, the calls eventually stop. Another twelve years pass before they meet again, when Hae Sung finally visits Nora in New York and she is forced to confront feelings that she thought were left in Korea. Nora is forced to become Na Young again.
"Some crossings you pay for your whole life"
Nora (Greta Lee)
Past Lives is not only a love story but a personal reflection on immigration. Song masterfully captures the unique sense of loss that accompanies building a new life in a different country. In the opening scene, Greta Lee looks directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall. She welcomes the audience with a beautifully layered gaze and invites us to become part of Nora’s story, her unwavering eye contact makes us feel uncertain but somewhat reassured; setting the tone for the whole film. The plot is driven by quiet moments of intimacy between the pair; small gestures or long, meaningful stares. But, when viewing this film as purely romantic, we lose the means to consider the ‘what-if’s’ and ‘could-have-beens’ through the lens of someone who is grappling with the multi-layered experience of immigration. Nora’s journey being central to the narrative is important as she is “someone who leaves”. On the other hand, Hae Sung is the personification of the life that Nora never had, a future that she never lived out. He travels fourteen hours to New York in order to see her again one more time and in doing so, makes Nora realise she also needed closure; she needed to say goodbye to both Na Young and Hae Sung. He represents a part of her that can be found nowhere else but fondly stored away in his heart, a complexity that Teo Yoo carries brilliantly with every movement.
Past Lives allows its audience to mourn growing up, alongside Nora, but simultaneously encourages us to reconcile with the child inside of us and to recognise that this is where we ended up, that this is where we are supposed to be. It highlights the endless possibilities when it comes to the direction our lives could head in and our capability to love people in one thousand different ways over one thousand different lifetimes. The film tackles the enormity of this concept with a quiet understanding - during their final goodbye Hae Sung and Nora share a silent embrace, Nora is finally able to accept the crushing reality that she cannot live as both Nora and Na Young, that she must let her go of a love that could have been and her increasingly distant childhood. Song builds a unique narrative that both celebrates and mourns the loss of a life left behind, the pair part ways with the devastating yet comforting promise of past and future lives, "See you then."