ED Another film achievement

Diversity, creativity key to global recognition

The Korean movie industry made another achievement Saturday by clinching two major prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Acclaimed director Park Chan-wook won the Best Director award for his erotically charged thriller “Decision to Leave.” Iconic actor Song Kang-ho snatched the Best Actor prize for his role in “Broker.”

It marked the first time in the country's cinema history that Korean movies have scooped two trophies at a time at the prestigious international film festival. More notably, Song has become the first Korean male actor to win an acting prize at Cannes. His award came after Jeon Do-yeon grabbed the Best Actress prize for her role in “Secret Sunshine” in 2017.

Park's prize is the third of its kind at Cannes. He won the Grand Prix for his thriller “Oldboy” in 2003 and the Jury Prize for the horror film “Thirst” in 2009. He is not the first Korean to take home Cannes' Best Director award. In 2002, Im Kwon-taek won the coveted prize for “Chihwaseon.” Yet this does not necessarily discredit his winning which has reaffirmed the domestic cinema's potential.

“Decision to Leave,” starring Chinese actress Tang Wei and Korean actor Park Hae-il, received favorable reviews at the festival. The BBC described the film as a “cracking romantic thriller.” The movie was also lauded as a “deeply satisfying” tale by Britain's Screen magazine. It is a story about a detective who falls for a mysterious widow, whom he suspects of having caused her husband's death.

Song, best known for his role in Bong Joon-ho's 2019 black comedy “Parasite,” plays the role of a middleman trying to sell an unwanted child in a “baby box” for adoption to a loving family in “Broker.” It is Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's first Korean-language film. The global hit “Parasite” won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, in 2019. Then in 2020 it received four Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Director.

The awards for Park and Song at Cannes are meaningful as one of the major global film festivals recognized their hard work. They have also demonstrated the growing competitive edge of Korean films. As President Yoon Suk-yeol said in his congratulatory message to them, the prizes confirmed again the local movies' unique originality and competitiveness.

It is welcome and encouraging news that the Korean film industry has continued to enjoy global recognition. This is, certainly, the result of hallyu, or the boom of Korean pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, spreading around the world. For instance, “Squid Game,” Netflix's original Korean drama series, emerged last year as the global steaming giant's most successful show of all time. Korean boy band BTS has already become a global sensation.

But we should not be complacent. The local film and entertainment industries need to make concerted efforts to promote diversity and creativity further so that their cultural content can be more attractive to global audiences. It is imperative to reduce the domination of business conglomerates in the production and distribution of Korean movies. More state support is also crucial to keep the film industry thriving.