Heaven or Las Vegas

On the day of his film festival appearance, Leslie Song finds himself having nothing interesting to say about his film “The Importance of Being Honest,” which follows a young photographer named Effie who lies about her own photographs in an attempt to impress a famous gallery curator. Feeling pressured to present himself as an erudite artist, Leslie decides to live out the premise of his own film. When questioned about the influence of Hong Sang-soo’s films in his work during an interview, Leslie denies the influence, and instead cites a fictional Korean director named Yoo Un-sung as an influence in order to build a persona as somebody who champions underground cinema; he also takes other people’s ideas, and passes them off as his own during Q&A’s. Everything seems to have gone well... until a few months later when, at another Q&A event, a woman named Kristen Kim shows up to ask where she can find Yoo Un-sung’s films.

Directed by Jawni Han, Heaven or Las Vegas leans on a strong ensemble — Jawni Han, Kristen Yoonsoo Kim, Virginia Gris — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 0.