Yeon Sang-ho's 'Peninsula' and Im Sang-soo's 'Into the Realm of Happiness' Selected as Official Cannes Invited Films

"Yeon Sang-ho, Following Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho as a Representative Korean Director"
"'Happy Land', a Film Filled with Melancholy and Sorrow"

Director Yeon Sang-ho's "Peninsula" and director Im Sang-soo's "To the Land of Happiness (working title)" have been selected as official selections for this year's Cannes International Film Festival.

The Cannes International Film Festival organizing committee announced fifty-six official selections without distinction between competition and non-competition categories on the 3rd (local time) at the UGC Normandie theater in Paris, France. "Peninsula" is a sequel to "Train to Busan," which was invited to the festival's Midnight Screening (non-competition) in 2016. It depicts the final battle of survivors in a land devastated by a zombie virus outbreak. The film stars Kang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun. Director Yeon Sang-ho previously walked the Cannes red carpet with "Train to Busan" and "The King of Pigs (2012 Directors' Fortnight)." Thierry Fr?maux, the executive director of the Cannes International Film Festival, called him "a director representing Korea following Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho."

Director Im Sang-soo is making his fourth appearance at Cannes. His 2005 film "The Old Garden" was featured in Directors' Fortnight, while "The Housemaid" (2010) and "The Taste of Money" (2012) were invited to the competition section. The upcoming "To the Land of Happiness" follows prisoner number 203 and Nam-sik on a special journey to find their last happiness in life. The film stars Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il. Originally planned as a remake of the German film "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Im wrote the screenplay and directed it himself. A Cannes official described it as "a film filled with melancholy and sorrow," adding, "Some scenes give the film another dimension. Im Sang-soo's self-deprecating humor also stands out."

Neither film will be screened at Cannes. The festival, originally scheduled to open on the 12th of last month, was effectively canceled due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the films are expected to be shown at the Venice International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and others. When released or traded at film markets, they will prominently feature the phrase "Cannes 2020" along with the palm leaf emblem symbolizing the Cannes International Film Festival. This year's Cannes Film Market will be held online from the 22nd to the 26th.

A record-breaking 2,067 films were submitted to this year's Cannes International Film Festival. The official selections include works by renowned directors such as Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch," Fran?ois Ozon's "Summer of 85," Steve McQueen's "Mangrove," and Viggo Mortensen's "Falling."