The South Korean director will lead the jury at the festival in May
South Korean director Park Chan-wook has been named president of the jury at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, organizers said on Thursday.
Park, 62, best known for his revenge thriller "Oldboy," succeeds French actress Juliette Binoche to become the first Korean to hold the position in the festival's 79-year history. This year's festival runs May 12-23.
The festival praised Park's genre-blending filmmaking as "narrative, stylistic and moral," according to a statement released in Paris.
"We are delighted to celebrate his immense talent and, more broadly, the cinema of a country deeply engaged with the questioning of our time," festival president Iris Knobloch and artistic director Thierry Fremaux said.
Park gained worldwide recognition with "Oldboy," which won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004. He has since taken home the Jury Prize for vampire romance "Thirst" in 2009 and the best director award for thriller "Decision to Leave" in 2022.
His latest film, "No Other Choice," earned three nominations at this year's Golden Globes, including best picture in the musical or comedy category, best non-English-language film and best actor in a musical or comedy for lead star Lee Byung-hun.
"In this age of mutual hatred and division, I believe that the simple act of gathering in a theater to watch a single film together, our breaths and heartbeats aligning, is itself a moving and universal expression of solidarity," Park said in a statement.
Park is the third Asian director to head the Cannes jury, after Japan's Tetsuro Furukaki in 1962 and Hong Kong's Wong Kar-wai in 2006.
The appointment continues an established track record for Korean cinema at the festival. Im Kwon-taek won the best director prize for "Strokes of Fire" in 2002, while Bong Joon-ho took the Palme d'Or for "Parasite" in 2019, which went on to win four Academy Awards including best picture.
Cannes has also showcased a younger generation of Korean filmmakers and actors over the years, with directors like Hong Sang-soo, Lee Chang-dong and Yeon Sang-ho screening in various sections.
Jeon Do-yeon won best actress for "Secret Sunshine" in 2007 and Song Kang-ho took the best actor prize for "Broker" in 2022.
The official selection is expected in mid-April.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
