[Busan=Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “Being selected as the opening film? I was deeply grateful.”

As the film “Day and Night Belong to Each Other,” selected as the opening film of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), made its debut in Busan, Director Kim Jong-kwan shared these remarks.

On the afternoon of the 6th, an official press conference for the opening film *Day and Night Belong to Each Other* was held at the Medium Theater of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, where the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off. Director Kim Jong-kwan, along with actors Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Jang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, Jeon So-young, and Kim Dong-hwi, attended the press conference.

This film is the latest work by director Kim Jong-kwan, who previously directed *The Worst Day* (2016), *The Table* (2017), *No One’s Place* (2020), and *Josee* (2020). Director Kim began by saying, “I thought I had become seasoned after working in film for so long, but I still get nervous at events like this.”

He described *Day and Night Are for Each Other* as “a story about the small and trivial things—a film that focuses on meaning and beauty.”

Regarding the selection of this “small, trivial story” as the opening film, Director Kim said, “I feel grateful because it seems as though a film festival of global stature has endorsed the importance of the small, trivial things this film seeks to convey.”

He continued, “While conventional films build up events and craft a narrative within a narrative structure spanning days, months, or years, our film consists of only four conversations.” He explained, “By zooming in on these conversations, I hoped to expand our view of these people, allowing the audience to imagine where they came from and where they are headed, and to envision what comes next.”

Director Kim said, “Just as in the literature I’ve read, I wanted to explore various aspects of life and convey the power of storytelling,” adding, “I hope this film fosters a deep connection with the audience.”

The title also encapsulates the film’s message. “While there are the worlds of day and night, they are actually various metaphors,” he said. “If the first story is about two people—one in the day and one in the night—who are connected, then the final episode could be about people who are in the same space but become each other’s ‘day’ and ‘night.’”

If you look at it as a “story of two sides,” there are their individual stories, as well as dreams and reality. He said, “These elements contrast with each other like day and night, yet they are also connected. Day and night seem separate, but they are linked. I also hoped this film would help viewers understand others.”

He continued, “I feel that, overall, this film could be a story about grand illusions and hallucinations,” adding, “The dream in the first episode, and in the second, whether it’s a delusion or a belief—it’s unclear. Also, the act of creation involves elements where facts can be distorted and an uncertain future. All of these are hallucinations, but aren’t hallucinations actually based on some kind of reality?”

Director Kim added, “I want this to be a film that audiences can continue to reflect on even after it ends.”

“Day and Night to Each Other” is a film that captures the conversations between Day and Night as they pass through a café over the course of a single season.

Yoo-jin (Kim Min-ha), who listens intently to the ticking of a wristwatch; Hyun-oh (Joo Jong-hyuk), who repairs watches; the seemingly eccentric Sang-mi (Han Sun-hwa) and the upright, gentle-looking Young-min (Jang Ryul); web novel writer Hye-jin (Shim Eun-kyung) and film director Dong-nam (Lee Hee-joon); longtime lovers Na-kyung (Jeon So-young) and Jong-su (Kim Dong-hwi)—the stories of these diverse characters unfold against the backdrop of a single café.

Selected as the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival, “Day and Night Are for Each Other” will be screened at the opening ceremony held this afternoon at the Loop Theater in the Busan Cinema Center. Approximately 5,000 audience members are expected to attend.

“Day and Night Belong to Each Other” is set to be released this coming November.