[Photo &] Park Chan-wook, First-Ever Korean Jury President at Cannes: “Korea Is No Longer a Peripheral Player”

From the Margins to the Center, a Boast by “Korean Cinema”

“‘Korea’ is no longer a peripheral country in the film world. As a result, I have been assigned the role of ‘jury president.’”

The director ‘Park Chan-wook’, appointed as the jury president for the competitive section of the ‘79th Cannes Film Festival’, the first Korean to receive such a commission, declared the firm global standing of Korean cinema at the opening-ceremony press conference. While expressing joy for the three Korean films invited earlier this year, he also warned that, “There is absolutely no giving extra points just because it’s a Korean film,” and promised a fair evaluation. This festival invited director ‘Na Hong-jin’’s ‘Hope’ (in the competitive section), director ‘Yeon Sang-ho’’s ‘The Colony’ (midnight screening), and director ‘Jung Joo-ri’’s ‘Dora’ (Directors’ Fortnight). Having made his first steps to Cannes with ‘Oldboy’ in 2004, he drew insight from the dramatic changes over the past 20 years—the expansion of the world’s focus to the very center of cinema.

The Unbiased View of Viewers, the Cool Gaze of Experts

‘Park Chan-wook’ stated that, regarding the judging criteria, he would uphold the ‘pure eyes of viewers’ without compromise. He would wait for films that would surprise him without any bias or stereotypes, but in jury meetings he would evaluate them with a cold, expert perspective that understands film history inside and out. In particular, about the relationship between art and politics, he said, “It’s nonsense to view art and politics as opposing concepts,” and made clear his firm philosophy that even if a political message is present, it is worth listening to as long as it is expressed excellently from an artistic standpoint.

The Return of “Cannes Park,” Devotion Beyond Glory

To film people around the world, he is known as ‘Cannes Park’. He has written Cannes history with ‘Oldboy’ (Jury Prize) in 2004, ‘Thirst’ (Jury Prize) in 2009, and ‘Decision to Leave’ (Best Director) in 2022. Regarding why he accepted the role of jury president, he said, “Based on past experience, it’s a place that comes with enormous stress, so I was hesitant. But I remembered the huge gifts I’ve received from the ‘Cannes Film Festival’, and I decided that now is the time to give back.” ‘Park Chan-wook’ will judge 22 invited works from the competitive sections, along with the jury panel made up of world-renowned film figures such as ‘Demi Moore’, ‘Stellan Skarsgård’, and ‘Chloé Zhao’, up to the closing ceremony on the 23rd.