Korean films absent from Cannes' official selection for first time in 12 years
With Cannes previously having added films after official lineup announcement, still possibility Korean films could be included
For the first time in 12 years, no South Korean films have been included in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
According to the festival's organizing committee, which announced the lineup for the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Thursday evening, no Korean films were named among the invited works. Korean films were not only excluded from the main competition section, where the Palme d'Or and other top honors are awarded, but also from out of competition categories and sidebars such as the midnight screenings and Un Certain Regard.
This marks the first time since 2013 that Korean cinema has been shut out from both competition and noncompetition categories at Cannes.
Among the domestic titles submitted to this year's festival were 'The Ugly' from "Train to Busan" director Yeon Sang-ho, 'The Journey to Gyeongju' from Kim Mi-jo and 'Omniscient Reader' from Kim Byung-woo.
Auteur and Oscar-winning Park Chan-wook's new film, 'No Other Choice,' was reportedly not submitted, as postproduction remained incomplete. This year's submission deadline for the Cannes Film Festival was March 14.
However, since the Cannes Film Festival has previously added films after its official announcement, there remains the possibility that a Korean film could still be included. Korean entries may also appear in parallel sections yet to be revealed, such as Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week.
The last time a Korean film was in competition at Cannes was in 2022, with Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave' and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Broker,' the latter produced by a Korean company. This year marks the third consecutive absence of Korean films from the competition section.
In this year's competition lineup are 'The Mastermind' directed by Kelly Reichardt, 'Alpha' by Julia Ducournau and 'Two Prosecutors' by Sergei Loznitsa. Out of competition, 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' is among the selections.
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Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors
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"Over the years, that leads to painful self-reflection. Whether he wants it or not, he becomes more mature — just by watching TV." For "Thirst," another Cannes-winning film, Park drew inspiration from Emile Zola's "Therese Raquin," a novel about a young woman coerced by her overbearing aunt into a loveless marriage. Initially, there were separate plans to adapt the novel and to make a vampire film but the two ideas eventually merged, after co-producer Ahn Soo-hyun read Park's vampire synopsis and Zola's novel, spotting a thematic bridge. 'There are vivid descriptions focused on the neck in the book,' Park noted. 'The neck biting and the wounds worsening over time — the imagery is quite intense.' The original synopsis, just three or four pages long, had a priest as the protagonist and a detailed climactic blood-drinking scene. Park felt that as long as that scene remained, the story and characters could be adapted freely around it. 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Park reached out to le Carre directly, and the two met in person to discuss adapting the novel into a six-part television series — an "unforgettable memory" for Park. Le Carre made a cameo in the show, appearing as a waiter in the cafe where Charlie walks in. In fact, le Carre was fond of making cameo appearances in screen adaptations of his novels. Set in 1979, "The Little Drummer Girl" follows Charlie, a young English actress recruited to infiltrate a Palestinian group plotting a terrorist attack in Europe. But it was the novel's ending — particularly the protagonist's motivations — that troubled Park. 'Although I call it a masterpiece, I was disappointed at that moment,' he said. 'She risks her life as a spy because she 'fell in love' with one of the male agents, after pretending to be in love as part of her cover. I thought it made Charlie almost foolish,' Park said. Park knew he needed a new line — a moment that would redefine her choices. 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His recent favorites included Geoff Dyer's "The Ongoing Moment," a meditation on photography, and "But Beautiful," a philosophical exploration of beauty in jazz. Of Vladimir Nabokov's works, Park singled out "Pnin" as a personal favorite: 'It's filled with absurd humor, and the protagonist might come off as unlikeable at first -- but he becomes utterly lovable.' Park also expressed his recent admiration for W.G. Sebald, after reading "Austerlitz."
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
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Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
‘Five Vibe' dances on overdrive with tradition, EDM and sweat-soaked power
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