"There’s something refreshing about a film that commits so fully to its theme"

Competing in this year’s Berlinale Official Competition, What Does That Nature Say to You is a film that fully embraces simplicity—not just in its themes, but in its filmmaking style as well.

The story follows a young poet, Dong-hwa (Ha Seong-guk), who rejects the privileges of his wealthy father to live a modest life. He is content with his old car, his poems, and just enough money to get by. His philosophy is challenged during a visit to his girlfriend Jun-hee’s (Kang So-yi) family home, where long, meandering conversations highlight the contrast between his outlook on life and their expectations.

The film mirrors its protagonist’s simplicity with a stripped-down approach: unfocused shots, overexposed frames, and old-fashioned zoom-ins and zoom-outs. The dialogue repeats itself, emphasizing Dong-hwa’s insistence on his way of life but also stretching scenes to the point of exhaustion. Shot with a tiny crew and a budget of under 100k (the director himself wasn’t sure of the exact number), the film feels almost like an experiment in minimalism.

There’s something refreshing about a film that commits so fully to its theme, but at the same time, it struggles to hold attention. At some point, simplicity risks turning into emptiness, and while the film offers a quiet reflection on living with less, it doesn’t always manage to make that reflection engaging.