Kim Min-hee makes first post-birth public appearance alongside Hong Sang-soo at Locarno

Kim Min-hee and director Hong Sang-soo stepped out together at the 79th Locarno International Film Festival on August 14 (local time). Their first shared public appearance since the birth of their son last year.

The occasion was the official Q&A for Hong's new film Nowhere to Lay My Eyes (눈 둘 데가 없네), which was invited to the festival's International Competition section. Kim, 44, served as both lead actress and production manager on the film. Hong handled directing, screenplay, cinematography, editing, and music. Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho, Park Mi-so, and Choi Myung-gil also appear in the cast.

The film follows Sang-hee, raised by her grandparents after her parents' divorce, as she travels to Jeju Island with her younger brother to find their mother.

At the Q&A, Kim spoke about filming while caring for a newborn. "After giving birth to a baby, I filmed this movie for the first time," she said. She described waking up first each day to finish preparations for her baby before turning to the film. The single-minded focus she once brought to acting had given way to something she found healthier.

Kim gave birth in the spring of last year. The two first worked together on the 2015 film Right Now, Wrong Then and publicly confirmed their relationship at the 2017 press screening of Alone on the Beach at Night.

Both have history at Locarno. Hong won the festival's Golden Leopard for Right Now, Wrong Then in 2015. Kim took the Best Actress award in 2024 for Suyucheon. She also holds a Silver Bear for Best Actress from the Berlin International Film Festival for Alone on the Beach at Night (2017).