[Cannes2008] List of 5

Article courtesy The Korea Herald

Five Korean films join Cannes fest

The 61st Cannes Film Festival has kicked off with fanfare, spicing up the festive mood for moviegoers all around the world. The ebullient mood remains largely the same here in Korea, but one thing is palpably different: There’s no chance for a Korean movie or actor grabbing an award in the competition section this year.

Last year was special for the Korean film industry. Jeon Do-yeon won the prestigious best actress award for her impassioned role in the heart-wrenching flick “Secret Sunshine.” This year, however, such dramatic development is unlikely to occur because no Korean film has been invited to the competition section.

But it is too early to shift attention from Korean filmmakers toward Hollywood stars. After all, five Korean movies are to be screened in various sections at Cannes, and all of them have a potential to charm foreign filmmakers, critics and media in various ways.

At the forefront stands director Kim Jee-woon’s big-budget flick “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” which is one of the official selections in the Out of Competition section. The movie, set in Manchuria in the 1930s, is one of the biggest Korean projects this year, with the star-studded cast drawing keen attention from local movie fans and critics. Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung play rebellious characters in an exotic style.

In the Un Certain Regard section, director Bong Joon-ho’s “Tokyo!” — an omnibus film produced through a Korea-Japan-France joint venture project — has been invited, and what’s notable is the renowned Korean filmmaker’s efforts to expand his moviemaking coverage. Bong recruited Japanese actors to portray a sense of isolation and the meaning of affection by focusing on the travails of a group of Japanese who are sidelined and shunned in society.

In the Midnight Screenings section, director Na Hong-jin’s “The Chaser” will be featured. The film, released in mid-February, emerged as Korea’s top film in the first half of this year thanks to its heart-pumping dramatization that outsmarted other competitors, including Hollywood blockbusters. The film’s success came as a surprise because its budget was smaller than other mainstream Korean films and main actors were relatively low-profile. Defying skepticism, however, the film drew enthusiastic response from Korean moviegoers largely due to its fast-paced storytelling and the actors’ dedicated performances.

Also joining the Cannes programs is Park Jae-ok, whose animated short, “Stop,” will be featured in the Cinefondation section. Park graduated from the Korean Film Academy this year and is regarded as a promising younger-generation filmmaker.