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The 41st Warsaw International Film Festival (WARSZAWSKI FESTIWAL FILMOWY 2025) was held from October 10 to 19 in Warsaw, Poland. Under this year’s slogan, “More Than Cinema,” the festival showcased carefully selected films from around the world, highlighting the intersection of cinema, values, and social messages. Among them, director Yoon Ga-eun’s new film ‘The World of Love’, invited to the International Competition section, once again reaffirmed the strength of Korean cinema.

Director Yoon Ga-eun won the FIPRESCI Award (International Federation of Film Critics Award) at this year’s festival. The jury—composed of critics Katrin Hillgruber (Germany), Nataliia Serebriakova (Ukraine), and Kaja Klimek (Poland)—highly praised the film’s artistry and profound message.

As reflected in the jury’s comment, “A remarkable story triggered by an ordinary apple in a classroom,” ‘The World of Love’ delicately captures how violence forms within society in subtle and unexpected ways, inviting reflection on the difficulty of judging others. The jury commended Yoon Ga-eun’s direction as “an outstanding achievement that illuminates the resilience and warmth of the human spirit with delicacy and sincerity.” They also highlighted the performance of actress Seo Soo-bin, who plays the protagonist Jo-in: “Her exceptional acting draws the audience into deep immersion, infusing emotion into the journey of following the question, ‘Jo-in, who are you really?’”

‘The World of Love’ is a coming-of-age drama centered on Jo-in, a 17-year-old high school student who confronts questions about love, relationships, and her own identity. Normally cheerful and free-spirited, Jo-in finds her friendships cracked after a single angry remark. When anonymous notes begin to disrupt her daily life, she is forced to face the question of who she really is. With its delicate psychological portrayal, realistic dialogue, and honest depiction of a teenage girl’s complex emotions, the film leaves a lasting impression. The film is entirely in Korean, with English and Polish subtitles provided for the Warsaw screenings. This European premiere introduced the film to European audiences ahead of its Korean release.

Director Yoon Ga-eun has gained international recognition with her short films Guest (2011) and Sprout (2013), and her feature films The World of Us (2016) and The House of Us (2019). The World of Us was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival and others, and in Korea she won the Blue Dragon Award for Best New Director. ‘The World of Love’ is her third feature film, exploring coming-of-age themes from an even more expansive perspective. After studying religion and history, Yoon majored in directing at the Korea National University of Arts, and she has consistently been loved for her deep exploration of children’s emotions and relationships. In this new work, her characteristic sensitivity and realistic direction shine once again.

Founded in 1985, the Warsaw International Film Festival is a prestigious event regarded as a platform that “discovers hidden gems” in European cinema. Celebrated filmmakers such as Michael Haneke, Asghar Farhadi, Denis Villeneuve, and Paweł Pawlikowski presented early works here as they began their careers. The International Competition section—where films compete for the Grand Prix—is the festival’s core program, judged by an international jury on artistic completion, thematic depth, and creativity. This year again, the lineup was rich with films exploring social issues and universal values.

‘The World of Love’ was screened three times during the festival:

October 11 (Sat) 15:30, October 13 (Mon) 15:30, and October 14 (Tue) 13:00 at Kinoteka. Each screening drew enthusiastic attention from local audiences. The festival stated, “Korea is one of the most important countries consistently presenting fresh voices and original perspectives. We look forward to continued invitations and collaboration.”

Before Warsaw, the film had already attracted global attention by premiering in the Platform Competition at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival—its world premiere. The Warsaw screenings mark another significant step in its expansion onto the European stage.

As the film’s final message suggests, Yoon Ga-eun’s film is more than a simple coming-of-age tale—it is the story of a person learning to face the world and her own truth. ‘The World of Love’ beautifully and realistically captures the confusion of relationships, the tremors of inner emotion, and the small moments of sincerity that bloom within them. The 2025 Warsaw International Film Festival once again showcased the universal emotional resonance and meticulous storytelling of Korean cinema. And the name Yoon Ga-eun now stands not as a “new talent,” but as a defining voice representing Korea.

Written by Kim Min-ju, KOFIC Correspondent in Poland/Warsaw

Original KOFIC report (Click)