[Here is Cannes] Park Chan-wook and Song Kang-ho, 'Film Comrades' Making History as Double Winners at Cannes Film Festival

75th Cannes Film Festival Highlights
'Decision to Leave' Director Park Chan-wook Wins Best Director
'Broker' Song Kang-ho Wins Best Actor
First Korean Films to Achieve Two Major Awards

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Cannes (France) = Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Longtime film comrades Director Park Chan-wook and Song Kang-ho were honored with awards at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It is a historic achievement as the first Korean films to win two major awards.

At 8:30 PM on the 28th (local time) at the Lumi?re Theater in Cannes, France, during the closing ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, Director Park Chan-wook won the Best Director award for "Decision to Leave," and Song Kang-ho received the Best Actor award for "Broker" (directed by Koreeda Hirokazu).

Song Kang-ho, who went on stage first after his name was called for Best Actor, said, "I am grateful and honored," adding, "I want to share this joy and honor with the great artist Director Koreeda Hirokazu, and with Kang Dong-won, Lee Ji-eun, Lee Joo-young, and Bae Doona who worked together." He continued, "I sincerely thank CEO Lee Yoo-jin and the CJ staff. I also thank my family who are seated in the second-floor audience," and concluded, "I dedicate this honor to countless film fans."

"Broker" is a film depicting the unexpected special journey of people connected around a baby box. Although brokers secretly take the baby, the mother, So-young, who left the baby behind, returns, and unintentionally the three set out together to find new parents for the baby. Song Kang-ho played Sang-hyun, a self-proclaimed benevolent broker trying to find a suitable guardian for the abandoned baby Woo-sung.

Starting with "The Host" (2006), Song Kang-ho has been invited to the Cannes Film Festival seven times with films including "Secret Sunshine" (2007), "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), "Thirst" (2009), "Parasite" (2019), "Emergency Declaration" (2021), and "Broker." He won the Palme d'Or at the 72nd festival in 2019 for "Parasite." Last year, he served as a jury member at the 74th festival, and this year he achieved the milestone of becoming the first Korean actor to win Best Actor.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Park Chan-wook, who received the Best Director award, said, "During the COVID era, humanity shared a singular worry and fear. Films also experienced a time when theaters lost their audiences, but it became an opportunity for all of us to realize how precious movie theaters are." He added, "Just as we have the hope and strength to overcome this disease, we filmmakers believe we will protect movie theaters and preserve cinema forever."

He continued, "I express my gratitude to CJ for their unwavering support and to screenwriter Jung Seo-kyung. Above all, my love for Park Hae-il and Tang Wei is beyond words," and said, "I will omit further detailed explanations."

Director Park Chan-wook was invited to the competition section for the fourth time with his sixth Korean film "Decision to Leave," following "Oldboy" (2004, Jury Prize), "Thirst" (2009, Jury Prize), and "The Handmaiden" (2016, Competition). He set a record by winning the Best Director award for the third time.

"Decision to Leave" tells the story of a detective investigating a death in the mountains who meets the deceased's wife and feels both suspicion and interest. The film was praised for delicately portraying the tense investigation process to uncover the truth and the special curiosity and unexpected affinity felt between the two characters.

Cannes (France) = Reporter Lee Isul

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.