Reinventing Identity — and Recalibrating Ambitions — in Celine Song’s ‘Past Lives’

A tale of rekindled romance waxes poetic about providence and reincarnation.

Jon Pack.
Greta Lee, left, and Teo Yoo in 'Past Lives.' Jon Pack.

Playwright Celine Song’s debut feature film, “Past Lives,” is at first glance the tale of an immigrant reuniting with her childhood sweetheart after some two decades apart on different continents. It is just as much about how far she has drifted in the interim, constantly reinventing her identity and recalibrating her life’s ambitions. 

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