The world’s most prestigious film festival returns to Cannes on the 12th. For the first time in three years since Director Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” in 2022, a Korean film is back in the Competition section. Director Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” is set to challenge for the Palme d’Or. Adding to the excitement, Director Park Chan-wook is this year’s Jury President! In addition, we can look forward to three Korean films in total, as Director Yeon Sang-ho’s “Swarm” has been invited to the non-competition Midnight Screenings, and Director Jung Ju-ri’s “Dora” will be featured in Directors’ Fortnight. This is a huge return after last year, when not a single Korean film made the official invitation list.
Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” Enters Competition to Aim for the Palme d’Or
The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs for 12 days from May 12 to 23. Out of the 21 films in the Competition section, “Hope” is the sole Korean representative. Korean cinema has struggled to make a significant mark in the Competition section since “Decision to Leave” won Best Director at the 75th festival. Last year, there were no Korean films in either the Competition or non-competition categories.
Director Na Hong-jin is achieving a rare feat, with all four of his directed films, starting from his 2008 debut “The Chaser” up to “Hope,” being screened at Cannes. “The Chaser” was in Midnight Screenings, “The Yellow Sea” (2010) was in Un Certain Regard, and “The Wailing” was in the non-competition section. “Hope” marks the 20th time a Korean film by a Korean director has entered the Competition section since Director Im Kwon-taek’s “Chunhyang” in 2000.
If “Hope” wins, it will be the 9th award for Korean cinema and filmmakers at Cannes. Previous wins include Director Im Kwon-taek’s “Chihwaseon” (Best Director, 2002), Director Park Chan-wook’s “Oldboy” (Grand Prix, 2004), actress Jeon Do-yeon for “Secret Sunshine” (Best Actress, 2007), Director Park’s “Thirst” (Jury Prize, 2009), Director Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry” (Best Screenplay, 2010), Director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (Palme d’Or, 2019), Director Park’s “Decision to Leave” (Best Screenplay, 2022), and actor Song Kang-ho for Director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Broker” (Best Actor, 2022).
What is the story behind the 160-minute epic “Hope”?
“Hope,” which is reportedly the most expensive Korean film ever produced with a budget of approximately 80 billion KRW, is a fantasy SF film. It tells the story of a branch office manager in Hopo Port, located in the DMZ, who hears reports that a tiger has appeared. As the entire village goes on high alert, they face an unbelievable reality. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, along with international actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton.
This is the first time a film starring Hwang Jung-min has entered the Competition section. While four of his films, including “A Bittersweet Life,” “The Wailing,” “The Spy Gone North,” and “Veteran 2,” have been at Cannes, they were all in Midnight Screenings. Jo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon are both making their Cannes debuts.
According to information released by Cannes, “Hope” has a runtime of 160 minutes, making it the longest film of Director Na’s career. Cannes describes the work as a story where “ignorance becomes the seed of disaster, leading to a cosmic-scale tragedy through human conflict.” Festival Director Thierry Frémaux stated, “The genre constantly shifts, unfolding a brand-new story that has never been dealt with before.”
“Hope” will have its world premiere on May 17 at 9:30 PM at the Grand Theatre Lumière. Director Na and lead actors Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell will attend the red carpet event in front of the theater before the screening. They will also hold an official press conference the following day. While the specific domestic release date is not yet confirmed, it is scheduled for this summer.
A Mix of Genre Hits and Auteur Cinema
The zombie film “Swarm,” directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Jun Ji-hyun, has entered Midnight Screenings. This is the 4th time Director Yeon’s work has been screened at Cannes, following “The King of Pigs” (Directors’ Fortnight, 2012), “Train to Busan” (Midnight Screenings, 2016), and “Peninsula” (Official Selection, 2020).
“Swarm” is a zombie movie about people trapped inside a building during an unknown infection, fighting against infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways. Jun Ji-hyun returns to the big screen for the first time in 11 years since “Assassination” (2015). The film also stars Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, Kim Shin-rok, and Go Soo. It is scheduled to screen at Cannes on May 15 and will open domestically on May 21.
Director Jung Ju-ri’s “Dora” is heading to Directors’ Fortnight. This is the 3rd time Director Jung’s work has been invited to Cannes, following “Do-hee” (Un Certain Regard, 2014) and “Next Sohee” (Critics’ Week closing film, 2022).
Set in a seaside village, “Dora” depicts the process of a girl and a woman, both carrying deep pain, meeting and healing each other’s wounds. Sakura Ando, who is praised as one of the most talented Japanese actresses, makes her Korean cinema debut in this film, joined by actress Kim Do-yeon from the group I.O.I. It will be revealed at Cannes on May 17.
Park Chan-wook Makes History as the First Korean Jury President
Director Park Chan-wook is the Jury President for the Competition section this year. While Korean filmmakers have served as jurors in the past, he is the first to ever serve as the Jury President.
Previously, Director Shin Sang-ok (1994), Director Lee Chang-dong (2009), actress Jeon Do-yeon (2014), Director Park Chan-wook (2017), actor Song Kang-ho (2021), and Director Hong Sang-soo (2025) have served as jurors.
Director Park will judge the Competition entries alongside Demi Moore and Isaach De Bankolé (USA), Stellan Skarsgård (Sweden), Ruth Negga (Ireland), Chloe Zhao (China), Laura Vandell (Belgium), Diego Cesarespedes (Chile), and screenwriter Paul Laverty (Scotland).
A Gathering of Legends: Cinema’s Biggest Stars Assemble
Beyond the Korean films, this year’s Cannes is packed with filmmakers and movies that will thrill any cinephile. There are two Palme d’Or winners and over 10 directors with Cannes awards. Three directors have won top prizes at Berlin and Venice, and five are Oscar winners for Best International Feature Film. The lineup ranges from a veteran director born in 1949 to a rising star born in 1991.
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won the Palme d’Or for “Shoplifters” in 2018, returns with “The Sheep in the Box,” and Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who won the Palme d’Or for “4 Months, 3 Weeks… and 2 Days” in 2007, brings “Fjord.”
Iranian master Asghar Farhadi, a two-time Oscar winner and Berlin Golden Bear winner, presents “Parallel Tales.” Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, an Oscar and Venice Golden Lion winner, brings “Amarga Navidad” (Bitter Christmas). Born in 1949, Almodóvar is the oldest director in this year’s Competition. Other Oscar winners include Ryusuke Hamaguchi with “Suddenly the Condition Worsens,” Paweł Pawlikowski with “Fatherland,” and László Nemes with “Moulin.”
Rising star Lucas Dont, born in 1991 and winner of the Grand Prix in 2022, presents “Coward.” James Gray, who has entered the Competition section six times, makes his seventh attempt with “Paper Tiger.” Other highly anticipated films include “Nagi Note” by Koji Fukada, part of the Japanese New Generation alongside Hamaguchi and Miyake Sho, and “Unknown” by Arthur Harari, who wrote the screenplay for the 2023 Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall.”
The opening film is “The Electric Kiss” by Director Pierre Salvadori. The Honorary Palme d’Or, a lifetime achievement award, will be given to Director Peter Jackson and singer-actress Barbra Streisand. Jackson will receive his award at the opening ceremony, and Streisand at the closing ceremony.
