As the world's most prestigious Cannes Film Festival opens on May 12 local time, attention is focused on whether Korean film "Hope" will take home a prize. Last year, no Korean films were invited to either the competition or non-competition sections of Cannes, marking the first absence from the main competition in 12 years. This year is different. Park Chan-wook is serving as president of the competition jury, and Na Hong-jin's ambitious work "Hope" has been selected as a competition entry, drawing significant interest. Yeon Sang-ho's "Colony" and July Jung's "Dora" have also received invitations, underscoring Korean cinema's growing presence. With fewer films from renowned international directors with past Cannes wins than in previous years, expectations are rising that Korean cinema could claim its first Palme d'Or since "Parasite" (2019), seven years ago.
According to the Cannes Film Festival organizing committee on Sunday, a total of 22 films have been selected for the competition section at the 79th edition, including Na's "Hope," Pedro Almodovar's "Bitter Christmas," and Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Sheep in a Box." These films will compete for top honors including the Palme d'Or, the Grand Prix, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. Including competition entries, this year's festival will screen a total of around 3,000 films. The festival runs for 12 days from May 12 to 23 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, in the south of France.
"Hope," which will have its world premiere on May 17, has been kept under tight wraps but is considered one of the most anticipated films of this year. The film depicts the story of Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), head of the Hopo Port branch office located in the Demilitarized Zone, who encounters an unbelievable reality as the entire village goes on alert upon news of a tiger's appearance. The Cannes Film Festival's general delegate praised the film, saying, "The genre constantly shifts, unfolding a new story that has never been told before," heightening expectations.
Some have pointed out that "Hope," known as a science-fiction film, differs from the types of works Cannes has traditionally favored. However, analysts say its approach of delivering messages through cinematic imagination aligns with "the Cannes spirit," and speculation about its prospects is cautiously growing. A foreign film distribution industry official said, "Cannes' traditional practice of responding to the issues and zeitgeist of the year will continue this year as well." Indeed, Cannes has awarded the Palme d'Or to works that reflect the spirit of the times regardless of genre, including "Triangle of Sadness," "Anatomy of a Fall," "Anora," and "It Was Just an Accident." Adding to the buzz is the fact that North American distributor Neon is handling the distribution of "Hope." Starting with "Parasite" and up to last year's "It Was Just an Accident," all six films Neon has distributed have won the Palme d'Or.
Japanese cinema, which has continued to produce emerging directors as its film market weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, is also making a notable showing. Three Japanese films have entered the competition section: Kore-eda's "Sheep in a Box" — the director won the Palme d'Or in 2018 for "Shoplifters" — Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden," and Koji Fukada's "Nagi Diary."
Another point of note is the strong presence of Korean films in the non-competition sections. Yeon Sang-ho's "Colony" has been invited to Midnight Screenings and will have its world premiere on May 15, while July Jung's "Dora," invited to the Directors' Fortnight, will be unveiled on May 17.
Meanwhile, the competition jury consists of nine members, including jury president Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore, Chinese-born director Chloe Zhao of "Hamnet" and "Nomadland," and actor Stellan Skarsgard, who won a Golden Globe for "Sentimental Value."
