Exploring themes of isolation and the pressure to conform, this striking narrative debut from award-winning documentary filmmaker Kangyu Ga-ram breaks new ground in Korean queer cinema.

After nearly nine years as a couple, Seonwoo and Heeseo buy a small apartment together. But when a leg injury leaves Seonwoo temporarily unable to work, their relationship is strained as Heeseo shoulders the financial burden alone. While Heeseo continues to hide their relationship from her family, Seonwoo is stuck at home and becomes fixated on trying to find the source of a foul odour emanating from downstairs. When she discovers the old woman who lived in the apartment below has died, her quest to rid their apartment of the smell becomes a search for someone who cared about their isolated neighbour.

Renowned for capturing the evolving lives and spaces of women, Kangyu brings her signature sensitivity to this film that draws on real experiences of queer life in South Korea. Using the apartment complex as a microcosm of wider society, Lucky, Apartments combines mystery and domestic drama to explore the claustrophobia of navigating homophobia in a heteronormative world.

Content advisory: this film contains depictions of homophobia.

• Winner – Best Director: Discoveries Section, Asian Film Festival Barcelona 2024
• Honourable Mention – Outstanding First Feature, Frameline 2025