As a debut feature film with a budget of only $12 million, Past Lives is the kind of breakthrough most aspiring filmmakers can only dream of. Written and directed by Celine Song ’14SOA, who studied playwriting at Columbia, the semiautobiographical indie flick stars Greta Lee as a Korean-American writer who rekindles a connection with her childhood crush, who lives thousands of miles away. Since premiering last year, Past Lives has captured the attention of critics and received numerous accolades, including 2024 Oscar nominations for best picture and best original screenplay, Independent Spirit Awards for best film and best director, and a Directors Guild of America Award for outstanding direction of a first-time feature. Song’s next project, a romantic comedy called The Materialists, is reportedly in preproduction.
