[People's] 'Kkanneusong' Song Kang-ho Loved by Cannes

Film 'Broker' Selected for Competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival
Song Kang-ho Invited for the 7th Time
Last Year, First Male Actor Appointed as Jury Member
Planting the Seed of Trust for Korean Cinema in the Wasteland

Song Kang-ho/Photo by Showbox

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] In the film industry, if director Park Chan-wook is known as the 'Cannes Park,' then actor Song Kang-ho is the 'Cannes Song.' Can anyone discuss the Cannes Film Festival without mentioning Song Kang-ho?

Song Kang-ho first walked the Cannes red carpet in 2006 when he was invited to the Directors' Fortnight at the 59th Cannes Film Festival for "The Host" (directed by Bong Joon-ho). The following year, "Secret Sunshine" (directed by Lee Chang-dong) entered the competition section, and he was consecutively invited to Cannes with "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (directed by Kim Jee-woon, 2008) and "Thirst" (directed by Park Chan-wook, 2009). In 2019, he experienced the joy of winning the Palme d'Or for the first time in Korean cinema history with "Parasite" (directed by Bong Joon-ho). Last year, "Emergency Declaration" (directed by Han Jae-rim) was invited to the non-competitive section and met with audiences.

Last year, Song Kang-ho was busy at Cannes. He was appointed as a jury member for the 74th festival and participated in the judging panel led by director Spike Lee. That year, the Palme d'Or was awarded to "Titane" (directed by Julia Ducournau). Korean filmmakers have been appointed as Cannes jurors five times, including the late director Shin Sang-ok in 1994, director Lee Chang-dong in 2009, actress Jeon Do-yeon in 2014, and director Park Chan-wook in 2017. As an actor, Song Kang-ho is the second after Jeon Do-yeon and the first male actor to receive this honor.

Song Kang-ho is heading to Cannes this year with his seventh invitation. "Broker," the new film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won the Palme d'Or in 2018 with "Shoplifters," has been selected for the competition section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, and Song Kang-ho will walk the red carpet as the lead actor. Cannes has long been paying attention to the collaboration between these two genius filmmakers, Kore-eda and Song Kang-ho. Expectations are high for what the film will achieve at this year’s Cannes.

There was a time when Korea was considered a remote corner of the East, and passionate filmmakers from this small country knocked on the doors of Cannes without hesitation. Although few overseas audiences knew Korean films, a dedicated fan base gradually formed, gaining popularity through word of mouth. Many people’s hard work planted the seeds of trust in Korean cinema. At the center of this is Song Kang-ho.

It is truly the season of Cannes. From May 17 to 29, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival held in the southern French city of Cannes, all eyes are on whether Song Kang-ho will bring good news once again with "Broker."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.