Walking in Between: A Bae Doona Retrospective 

ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Monday, January 4, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
Join us for a screening of Air Doll (2009), followed by a rare in-person conversation with actor Bae Doona and acclaimed director Kore-eda Hirokazu, moderated by Akira Lippit of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. 

Directed by Palme d’Or winner Kore-eda Hirokazu, Air Doll stars Bae Doona as Nozomi, an inflatable sex doll who mysteriously comes to life and learns to navigate modern Tokyo. Through Bae Doona’s manic yet subdued performance, the film transforms an unconventional premise into a moving reflection on longing, connection, and what it means to be human. 

This is One Part of a Series! 
This is the second event in Walking in Between: A Bae Doona Retrospective, celebrating the filmography of one of the most internationally recognized Korean actresses working today. Featuring screenings, conversations, and interviews with Bae Doona and other special guests, the series explores how her work has connected with audiences around the world. 

Related Events: 
Cloud Atlas 
Wednesday, February 10, at 6 p.m. 
Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre 
More info and RSVP 

Take Care of My Cat 
Friday, February 12, at 7 p.m. 
Norris Cinema Theatre 
More info and RSVP 

Bios: 
Bae Doona is an internationally acclaimed South Korean actress whose career spans film, television, and global streaming platforms. She gained early recognition in Bong Joon-ho’s Barking Dogs Never Bite and The Host, as well as Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, before earning international acclaim for her leading role in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Air Doll. She later achieved global recognition through the Wachowski sisters’ Cloud Atlas and Netflix’s Sense8. Bae is celebrated for her versatility and emotionally nuanced performances across genres and cultures. 

Born in Tokyo in 1962, Hirokazu Kore-eda graduated from Waseda University and joined TV Man Union, where he primarily directed documentary television programs. He made his feature film directorial debut with Maborosi in 1995. His film Shoplifters (2018) won the Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. His 2023 film Monster received both the Best Screenplay Award and the Queer Palm at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. In 2026, Sheep in the Box was released in Japan, with its North American release to follow. His live-action adaptation of Look Back is also forthcoming.

Akira Lippit is a film scholar, writer, and editor whose books include Ex-Cinema, Atomic Light (Shadow Optics), Electric Animal, and Cinema without Reflection. His current research focuses on contemporary Japanese cinema and the work of David Lynch. A recipient of awards from the Academy of Korean Studies, Japan Foundation, and Fulbright-Hays, Lippit is active as a programmer, interviewer, and editor, and serves on the editorial boards of Discourse and Film Quarterly. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Sunyoung Park (East Asian Languages and Cultures and Korean Studies Institute), Gloria Koo (Korean Studies Institute), and USC students: Jiwoong Choi (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Caitlyn Chung (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Minji Kim (Cinematic Arts), and Jiwon Park (Cinematic Arts).