Snowpiercer

In the near future, a failed climate experiment has led to a second ice age. The sole survivors are aboard a high-speed train constantly on the move. A class system reigns – the poor inhabiting the tail section, the wealthy and powerful in the front. A riot takes place, and a group of rebels fight their way through the train to gain control of its engine. The film marks Bong's English-language debut, with an international cast. It shifts frequently in tone and in genre, train car by train car, from dystopia to absurd and vivid cheerfulness. Mixed with carefully choreographed fight scenes, this is a visually striking, original and highly entertaining sci-fi adventure.

Ida Gulbrandsen

Director Bong Joon-ho will give a personal video greeting to Films from the South before the film.

Director

Bong Joon-ho (b. 1969) is one of South Korea's most internationally renowned filmmakers, and extremely popular with the home crowd. The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013) and Parasite (2019) rank among the highest-grossing films of all time at the Korean box office. Bong’s feature film debut was Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), and his international breakthrough came in 2003 with the crime thriller Memories of Murder, before Mother followed in 2009. His trademarks are a dark sense of humour, rapid mood shifts, and a strong visual style with keen attention to detail. At this year’s Films From the South, you can deep-dive into Bong’s filmography in a comprehensive retrospective.