‘Decision’ Cannes Win is Vindication for Korean Culture, a Tight Group of Friends and the Corporation That Backed Them Over Two Decades

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefComing only three years after the Palme d’Or for “Parasite,” the two Cannes prizes for Park Chan-wook as best director and for Song Kang-ho as best actor are further proof of the strength of Korean cinema’s originality, its elevated skills and its resilience.Korean movies have been temporarily overshadowed by K-pop and Korean TV dramas – think BTS and “Squid Game” – both of which flourished during the COVID era, while Korean film was struck down by the pandemic.Closed cinemas and disrupted release schedules meant that the film sector was not fully able to capitalize on the 2019 Cannes and multiple Oscar successes of “Parasite” and “Minari.” Korean film producers’ revenues crumbled between 2020 and early 2022.

Talent from in front of and behind the camera shifted across to the more vibrant streaming sector. The Cannes prize for Park’s “Decision to Leave” is particularly satisfying for a core group of filmmakers, that also includes “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho, who have engaged with streaming platforms, but see themselves as filmmakers first.This particularly tight cluster of leading names consists of a group who are friends rather than rivals.

While they can be categorized as big-name auteurs with filmographies that make them out as writer-director-producers, the reality is more collegial.

Park, his younger brother, Bong and a small circle of other pals grew up supporting each other. And they continue to read each other’s scripts and share notes outside of the formal studio structure.Saturday’s Cannes wins are also vindication for Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM, which was partly responsible for Korean culture’s modern incarnation, and which has been in the Park Chan-wook and Bong.