Director Jeong Juri, Kim Do-yeon, and Ando Sakura Share Their Thoughts on Attending the ‘Dora’ at the Cannes Film Festival!

Ahead of the May 17 (Sun) world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, director Jeong Juri’s new work 〈Dora〉 has confirmed the Cannes joint attendance of director Jeong Juri and actors Kim Do-yeon and Ando Sakura, unveiling the trio’s invitation-day remarks.

〈Dora〉 is a story about a family that leaves Seoul and heads to a seaside villa for midsummer, during which Dora—who has been suffering from an unknown illness—comes to understand love for the very first time, as everything starts to sway and shift little by little.

With her feature debut 〈Dohuiya〉 (2014), director Jeong Juri garnered attention for her remarkable perspective; her second feature 〈Next Sohee〉 (2022) was selected as the closing film of Critics’ Week; and this year’s 〈Dora〉 has received an official invitation to Directors’ Fortnight. Director Jeong Juri shared a brief yet resonant message: “I’m grateful that I’ll be able to share the film as soon as it’s finished. I look forward to meeting the audiences gathered from around the world and coming back soon to say hello to our audiences.”

Kim Do-yeon, who plays the title role of ‘Dora’ and is stepping onto her very first Cannes red carpet, said, “Knowing that my first Cannes begins together with Dora’s first steps feels especially meaningful. Director Jeong Juri helped make it possible for the actor to breathe fully as Dora on set, and my senpai, Ms. Ando Sakura, woke me up in every scene with a brand-new rhythm. I’m looking forward to what it will be like when the Cannes audiences meet Dora. I hope that the time we sent will reach that place honestly.”

Ando Sakura, who plays another lead, ‘Nami,’ returns to Cannes once again following 〈Somewhere Around the Family〉 (2018) and 〈Monster〉 (2023). Having appeared in a Korean film for the first time through 〈Dora〉, she expressed her wish: “Last summer, even in a situation where we couldn’t communicate, I found myself looking more deeply at my surroundings, in the hope of sharing feelings somehow. A film can be conveyed beyond language and culture, but I also realized that the space in front of the camera is a place where we can share each other’s hearts without speaking. I truly hope to meet you at my first Directors’ Fortnight screening.”

Meanwhile, 〈Dora〉 is an international co-production project involving four countries: Korea, France, Luxembourg, and Japan. Centered on Korea’s ㈜YOUNG FILM CO., LTD. REDPETER FILMS, co-producers include France’s The French Connection and ARTE FRANCE CINÉMA, as well as Luxembourg’s Les Films Fauves. From production to post-production, 〈Dora〉 was completed with crews from multiple countries participating. French female cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky handled cinematography, capturing the physical and emotional nuances of the female characters with care, while cross-border collaboration continued—visual effects (VFX) were carried out in Korea and France, sound work was done in Korea and Luxembourg, and color correction was completed in France.

Main investment by Soleil Partners by K-Wave Media, 〈Dora〉 aims for a domestic release in the second half of 2026 after its Cannes world premiere. Domestic distribution will be handled by ㈜Episode Company, which presents 〈Dora〉 as its first distribution title, while overseas distribution will be managed by ㈜Fine Cut.