The red carpet and official screening for ‘Gunche,’ invited to the Midnight Screening, took place at the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on the 15th (local time).
‘Gunche’ is a film where survivors trapped in a building locked down due to a mysterious infection battle infected individuals who evolve in unpredictable ways.
Actress Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, Kim Shin-rok, and Director Yeon Sang-ho all attended the red carpet and official screening event.
Due to theater circumstances, the screening of ‘Gunche’ was pushed back about 30 minutes from its original 12:30 AM slot, but the audience waited patiently, showing their high expectations for the K-movie.
The actors enjoyed the night air of Cannes, waving to the welcoming crowds on the red carpet. Director Park Chan-wook, the Jury President of the Cannes Film Festival, was there to greet them and gave Jun Ji-hyun a hug. He caught everyone’s attention by offering warm support to the attending actors and Director Yeon Sang-ho.
Cheers erupted as the actors entered the theater. They looked deeply moved by the enthusiastic welcome. In particular, Jun Ji-hyun expressed her emotions by gesturing that she was tearing up to Director Yeon Sang-ho sitting next to her even before the movie started.
As soon as the credits rolled after the 122-minute screening, applause broke out, leading to a standing ovation that lasted for about 6 minutes.
Director Yeon Sang-ho shared his touched feelings, saying, “It is a huge honor to be able to present ‘Gunche’ again at the dream-like Cannes Film Festival. The passionate support will be a memory that stays with me for a very long time in my filmmaking career.”
A ‘regular’ at Cannes, Director Yeon Sang-ho has been invited to the festival four times, starting with his first feature animation ‘The King of Pigs’ (2012, Director’s Fortnight), followed by ‘Train to Busan’ (2016, Midnight Screening) and ‘Peninsula’ (2020, Official Selection). Having left a strong impression on the global film industry with his unique twists on the Korean zombie genre, Director Yeon Sang-ho once again proved his prowess as the father of K-zombies through ‘Gunche.’
Meanwhile, ‘Gunche,’ which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, will be released in Korea on the 21st.
