Cannes-selected Korean animated short heads to theaters

Multiplex chain Megabox will screen director Joung Yu-mi’s animated short "Glasses" in theaters starting June 11, following its selection for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, the company announced Thursday.

Competing in the Critics' Week short film section, the 15-minute animation was one of only two Korean works at this year's Cannes. No Korean films appeared in the main competition or other official sections, the first such absence in 12 years.

"Glasses" centers on a woman who begins seeing shadowy visions of herself during an eye examination. The silent animation, rendered in expressive black-and-white pencil strokes, explores the themes of identity and perception.

The screening will also feature Joung’s earlier short "Paranoid Kid," previously shown at the Zagreb International Animation Festival. Based on the director's own picture book, the film is narrated by actress Bae Doo-na.

“Short films rarely find space outside the festival circuit, so I’m grateful for this chance to share my work in theaters,” Joung said.