▲ Director Kim Jong-kwan speaks at a press conference for "The Table: Day and Night," the opening film of this year's Busan International Film Festival, at the Busan Cinema Center in the southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 6, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ Director Kim Jong-kwan, and actors Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Chang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, Jeon So-young and Kim Dong-hwi (from L to R) pose for a group photo during a press conference for "The Table: Day and Night," the opening film of this year's Busan International Film Festival, at the Busan Cinema Center in the southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 6, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ This still, provided by K-Movie Entertainment, shows Shim Eun-kyung (R) and Lee Hee-jun in the Korean film "The Table: Day and Night." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

By Lee Minji

BUSAN, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- Departing from large-scale films with intense narratives that kicked off the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) the past two years, BIFF has selected the Korean film "The Table: Day and Night," a quiet anthology of conversations that take place at a cafe, as its opening film this year.

Four different episodes unfold at the cafe, with the film gently portraying the mood, the emotions and personal stories of characters who engage in conversations or encounters that take place at the single venue.

The film, directed by Kim Jong-kwan, features an ensemble cast of young and versatile actors: Kim Min-ha, Joo Jong-hyuk, Han Sun-hwa, Chang Ryul, Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Hee-jun, Jeon So-young and Kim Dong-hwi.

The choice marks a shift from the more dramatic works that opened the film fest in 2024 and 2025: respectively, the Netflix Korean original film "Uprising," a historical drama navigating the theme of slavery, and renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook's black comedy "No Other Choice" featuring a star-studded cast including Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.

BIFF organizers noted that "The Table: Day and Night" was selected for rendering the "delightful, unpretentious and lovely conversations" of the four couples, adding how the film also makes full use of the venue as a place where strangers come and go.

"Without excessive contrivance or dramatic turns, the film beautifully captures the subtle tremors of human relationships," BIFF programmer Jeong Ji-hye wrote in her program note.

Kim, the director, said he tried to capture small, yet beautiful moments and the significance they carry through his latest feature.

"It is a film that concentrates on the beauty and meaning of small, insignificant things," Kim said at a press conference Tuesday, noting how the film only consists of four conversations, in contrast to movies which tend to build up narratives within a longer frame that lasts from days to months.

"By expanding on the conversations, I wanted the audience to imagine many things, including where the characters come from, in which direction they are flowing and what their next steps will be," he said.

It is not the first time that Kim has navigated the cinematic style of delving into conversations and characters at a single space. His 2017 work "The Table" also features four different conversations that unfold at a single table.

Kim said the "Day and Night" in the title of the 2026 film could indicate many things, such as how two beings could become each other's day and night but are still connected, or how day and night seem to be two different concepts but are actually not, adding he would leave the interpretation to the audience.

"I wanted to tell a story about the beauty and deep emotions found in small and intimate worlds. But that involved many battles and no small amount of effort," he said, thanking his production crew for the hard work and BIFF for recognizing the profound importance of little things.

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