Film comrades Kim Ji-woon and Song Kang-ho, back at Cannes after 15 years

by Lee Yiseul

Published 13 Apr.2023 19:54(KST)

'Spiderweb' Invited to the 76th Cannes Film Festival Non-Competitive Section

Director Kim Ji-woon and actor Song Kang-ho will walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 15 years since "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008).

On the 13th, the Secretariat of the 76th Cannes Film Festival announced the Korean film "Gami Jip" (Director Kim Ji-woon) as an Out of Competition selection. This marks Kim's third and Song Kang-ho's eighth invitation to Cannes.

Director Kim Ji-woon (left), Song Kang-ho [Photo by AP, Yonhap News, Warner Bros. Korea]

Director Kim was invited to Cannes for the third time following "A Bittersweet Life" (2005) and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008). Song Kang-ho has been invited for the eighth time, following "The Host" (2006), "Secret Sunshine" (2007), "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), "Thirst" (2009), "Parasite" (2019), "Emergency Declaration" (2021), and "Broker" (2022), setting a new record for the most invitations for a Korean actor.

Director Kim and Song Kang-ho, who have collaborated five times including "The Quiet Family" (1998), "The Foul King" (2000), "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), and "The Age of Shadows" (2016), are heading to Cannes again after 15 years.

Director Kim Ji-woon said, "This is joyful news for all the staff and actors involved. After the pandemic, it is time for the era of cinema to revive, and being invited to a festival where filmmakers and audiences from around the world gather is very special." He added, "I am happy to be invited with Song Kang-ho, my reliable film comrade, in this project."

Song Kang-ho said, "I feel honored and delighted to be invited with such a charming work alongside great actors on my fifth film journey with the director."

"Gami Jip" is a film set in the 1970s, depicting the desperate and darkly humorous events that unfold as Director Kim (played by Song Kang-ho), obsessed with reshooting the ending of a completed film called Gami Jip to make it better, pushes forward with filming amid the obstructive censorship authorities and the challenging conditions with actors and producers who do not understand the changed content, driving everyone to the brink of madness.

[Photo by Barunson E&A]