“I just focused on expressing reality”: Yang Jong-hyun on People and Meat at Florence Korea Film Fest 2026

Director Yang Jong-hyun’s poignant drama, People and Meat, opened the Florence Korea Film Fest 2026, captivating the Florentine audience after achieving significant, and perhaps unexpected, international success. The film, which explores themes of isolation, connection and survival with a blunt realism, offers a raw and uncompromising look at the lives of the elderly, with a blunt realism that deeply penetrates the soul. As the director himself stated regarding his creative process: “I just focused on expressing reality.” This philosophy forms the basis of the movie’s powerful narrative and its ability to spark vital conversations. The Upcoming had the privilege of interviewing Yang Jong-hyun during the festival, delving into his meticulous approach to representing social truths, the challenge he faced working with veteran actors, and the intentional choices behind the film’s magnificent and memorable locations.