Director Park Chan-wook, serving as the first Korean president of the Cannes Film Festival jury, revealed his judging principles.
On May 12 (local time), the 79th Cannes Film Festival opened. In this context, director Park Chan-wook took on the role of jury president and attended the jury press conference.
In particular, this year at the Cannes Film Festival, director Na Hong-jin's "Hope" advanced to the competition institutional sector, director Yeon Sang-ho's new film "Gunche" was officially invited to the midnight screening, and director Jung Ju-ri's third feature as director "Dora" was invited to Directors' Fortnight. As a result, the chances of Korean films winning awards are also being viewed as high.
On this matter, director Park Chan-wook said, "I am glad that three Korean films that are expected to be good films this year were invited. But one thing is for sure: that does not mean I will give Korean films extra points or anything."
Director Park Chan-wook, who was first invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 with the film Oldboy, said, "Back then, Korean films were introduced only very occasionally. It has only been 20 years, but a lot has changed in that time," expressing a sense of how times have changed.
He added, "I do not want to simply say that this phenomenon means Korean films have become good enough to finally enter the center. Rather, the center of cinema itself has expanded so that it can now embrace more and more diverse films from more countries."
Meanwhile, when foreign media asked whether, as jury president, he needed to separate film as art from politics, Park Chan-wook drew a line, saying, "No. It is strange to think of politics and art as opposing concepts."
Above all, he said, "Just because something contains a political claim does not mean it should be seen as an enemy of art. Art and politics are not opposing concepts, and if it is argued well artistically, it is worth listening to."
However, he added, "No matter how excellent a political statement is, if it is not expressed artistically it can degenerate into propaganda. I want to watch films with a pure viewer's perspective, without any prejudice or fixed notions, with the expectation of seeing a film that will simply surprise me."
At this Cannes Film Festival, led by jury president Park Chan-wook, Hollywood star Demi Moore; Ethiopian-Irish actor and producer Ruth Negga; Belgian film director Laura Wandel; Chinese American film director Chloé Zhao; Chilean film director Diego Céspedes; Ivorian actor Isaac de Bankolé; Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty; and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård serve as jurors. They will convene to judge the competition institutional sector, which carries the top prize, the Palme d'Or. <
[Photo] OSEN DB, various film posters, Cannes Film Festival official social media sources.
[OSEN]