Director Jung Ju-ri’s third feature film ‘Dora’ (produced by Red Peter), which has been invited to the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, has shared the thoughts of its lead stars.
Director Jung Ju-ri previously gained attention with her 2014 debut feature ‘Han Gong-ju’ in the Un Certain Regard section and had her second feature ‘Next Sohee’ selected as the closing film of the Critics’ Week in 2022. Now, ‘Dora’ has been officially invited to the Directors’ Fortnight.
Director Jung shared a short but poignant message: “I am happy to be able to release the film as soon as it was completed. I look forward to meeting audiences from all over the world and returning quickly to greet our domestic audience.”
Kim Do-yeon, who will walk the Cannes red carpet for the first time in her life playing the title role of Dora, shared her excitement: “The fact that my first Cannes begins with Dora’s first steps feels incredibly meaningful. Director Jung Ju-ri allowed me to fully breathe as Dora on set, and senior Ando Sakura woke me up with a new energy in every scene. I’m excited to see what it will be like when the Cannes audience meets Dora. I hope the time we spent together reaches them honestly.”
Another lead, Ando Sakura, who plays Nami, returns to Cannes following ‘Shoplifters’ (2018) and ‘Monster’ (2023). Making her first appearance in a Korean film through ‘Dora’, she shared, “Last summer, even in a situation where we didn’t speak the same language, I found myself looking deeper at my surroundings in an effort to share my heart. While films transcend language and culture, I realized that the space in front of the camera is also a place where hearts can be shared without words. I sincerely look forward to meeting everyone at my first Directors’ Fortnight screening.”
‘Dora’ is an international co-production project involving four countries: Korea, France, Luxembourg, and Japan. Led by Korea’s Red Peter, the project included France’s The French Connection and ARTE FRANCE CINÉMA, and Luxembourg’s Les Films Fauves. From filming to post-production, crews from various countries participated. French cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky captured the delicate textures of the female characters’ bodies and emotions. The collaboration crossed borders, with VFX handled in Korea and France, sound work in Korea and Luxembourg, and color grading in France.
‘Dora’ tells the story of a family who leaves Seoul for a summer beach villa; while staying there, Dora, who suffers from an unknown illness, discovers love for the first time, causing everything to slowly begin to shake. The film stars Kim Do-yeon, Ando Sakura, Song Sae-byeok, and Choi Won-young, and is helmed by Director Jung Ju-ri of ‘Han Gong-ju’ and ‘Next Sohee’. After its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, it is scheduled for release later this year.
