Cannes Market Dailies

With Decision to Leave, Director Park Chanwook Returns to Cannes in 6 Years

The 75th Cannes International Film Festival heralded a lively start in full swing by announcing its official invitations to the competition section. “The world cinema is starting to get back in shape, and this year marks a return to a quasi-normality.” At the official press conference of the Cannes International Film Festival held at the Champs-Elysees in Paris on April 14 (local time), Thierry Frémaux, the artistic director of the festival, announced the official invitations in a hopeful voice.

This year, Cannes clearly showed its affection for Korean films. Two directors representing Korea and Japan, who have been favored by Cannes, have been invited to the competition section with Korean films. Park Chanwook’s Decision to Leave and Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Broker are the main characters. It is the first time in five years that two Korean films have been invited to the competition section together since Bong Joonho’s Okja and Hong Sangsoo’s The Day After in 2017. Also, it is the first time in three years that Korean films have been invited to the competition section since PARASITE in 2019. In addition, Actor Lee Jungjae, who has firmly established himself as a global star with Squid Game, will be on the red carpet of the Midnight Screenings as a ‘director’ in Cannes this year.

Even before the official announcement, Director Park Chanwook’s Decision to Leave was already mentioned by foreign media as a strong contender in the competition section. Director Park already has a deep connection with Cannes. He won the Grand Prize for Oldboy (2003), and the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009), and was nominated for the Grand Prize for The Handmaiden in 2016. Now, six years later, Director Park has made it to the competition section again. Including Decision to Leave, Director Park has been invited to Cannes four times, setting the tied record of most invited directors with Director Hong Sangsoo, who also has been invited to the festival four times.

Director Park Chanwook’s Decision to Leave is an authentic melodrama starring Korean actor Park Haeil and Chinese actor Wei Tang. There is a murder case in the mountain, and the detective (Park Haeil) investigating the case suspects the wife (Wei Tang) of the deceased as a prime suspect. However, the two characters gradually get caught up in uncontrollable emotions. Given that Director Park’s films have always been hot melodrama full of blood, this work is also expected to show a new level of melodrama.