Bugonia - IFFDAY

Official selection

Warehouse worker Teddy, along with his cousin Don, plans to kidnap the company’s CEO, Michelle. Only the two of them know that Michelle is an alien who has infiltrated Earth, so they must risk everything to prevent an alien invasion. However, the kidnapped Michelle vehemently denies being an alien, and when a detective investigating her disappearance becomes involved, the situation quickly spirals out of control. Bugonia is a remake of the Korean film Save the Green Planet! (2003), with CJ ENM participating in its planning and production. While preserving the original’s inventive imagination and dark comedic tone, the film further amplifies Yorgos Lanthimos’s signature aesthetics and absurdist worldview. In particular, Michelle—brought to life by the director’s muse Emma Stone—radiates a powerful presence that echoes the very spirit of this age, by virtue of the thoughtful decision to swap the character’s gender. The ending, set to the haunting melody of ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’, delivers a startling shock and bittersweet echo, even for those who are familiar with and cherish the original. * A Special Talk with director Jang Joonhwan and actor Lee Je-hoon is scheduled after the screening on September 21st.

Programme note by Karen PARK