La Voyageuse: Isabelle Hooper as a French teacher who uses unconventional methods in Seoul

Elsewhere, and after La Caméra de Claire, Isabelle Hooper reunites with South Korean director Hong Sang-soo in early 2025 for a third collaboration called La Voyageuse. Awarded the Silver Bear, Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Berlinale, this film sees the famous French actress, who is very popular internationally, in the role of Iris, who has just arrived in Seoul.

To overcome financial difficulties, this woman who seems to come from nowhere teaches French to two South Korean women using her own method. Indeed, there is no manual or detailed tutorial with it. Instead, Iris relies on the emotions and feelings of her students to “prepare” her lessons, then transcribes them onto small cards and invites the two women to read them in an almost meditative state in the evening.

A very philosophical and poetic method of learning, which, according to him, will allow us to see language, first of all, as a means of expressing very deep feelings, of putting into words what we feel. “This is the method I invented. I don’t know if it will work in real life. “ The director explains.

“I find it gives a delicate and poetic tone to these linguistic exchanges. First of all, it allows us to go deep into discussions, to address deep issues without any conflict, but with a lot of delicacy. “ emphasizes Isabelle Huppert.

Learning method in his image

This invention also perfectly reflects the unique way in which Hong Sang-soo works on his films, focusing mainly on the feelings of his actors, himself and what he wants to share with the audience, letting himself be guided by the thread. Exchanges and meetings with great freedom.

Isabelle Hooper recalls their collaboration: “I am always excited at the prospect of working with Hong Sangso. His way of making films is unique and he is the only one, as far as I know, who works like this. It’s an exciting experience because it’s hard to project yourself into a story or a role. And for good reason, there is neither a story nor a role, it is much more! It has a desire to capture the present moment and the human state of mind in a certain world.”

The director explains his creative process in his own words: “I have developed a method over the years and I stick to it. To be honest, I believe in serendipity and what can happen in meetings with Isabelle, the characters, myself in front of the camera and my script. These encounters become richer over time, I just try to capture them and arrange them in the most natural way possible.”

Therefore, with this method, poetry and realism that characterizes his work, Hong Sang-soo introduces us to this atypical and lonely woman played by Isabelle Hooper.

La Voyageuse, starring Isabelle Huppert, is in theaters today.