Cannes is a city in the south of France.
It borders the Mediterranean Sea.
“Wow! It’s the sea—!”
Kim Byul exclaimed with a rare bright smile. The sunlight reflecting off the water shimmered along with the waves.
Even for someone as emotionally dried-up as me, it was a beautiful sight, and I grudgingly admitted it while pursing my lips.
“Well, it is pretty. Now it really feels like we’re in France…”
“Didn’t it feel like it before?”
“That’s all you need to know.”
“You’ve now mastered everything there is to know about the Cannes Film Festival, so there’s no need to study any further. Everyone, enjoy your free time.”
People who had been gathered around Director So Tae-woong dispersed to their respective lodgings.
The actors headed to the hotel provided by the festival, while the staff went to the shared accommodations arranged by the distributor.
Moon In, who was about to return to the hotel, was stopped by a heavily intoxicated Baek Seung-won, and a couple famous among the staff for being lovebirds was seen sneaking off in a different direction.
First floor of the hotel lobby.
Director So Tae-woong watched as everyone scattered, then headed to the whiskey bar on the third floor of the hotel, where he ordered a drink.
The French are a peculiar bunch, the type who might ignore you if you order in English right off the bat. Even hotels can be tricky. You need to at least start with “Bonjour” in French.
After greeting the bartender in French, he switched to English to place his order. Only then did the bartender, now in a good mood, bring him a drink.
The same rule applies to the film festival.
So Tae-woong recalled the things he hadn’t mentioned to the people earlier.
From here on, it’s the realm of professionals.
The Cannes Film Festival has several rules. The dress code requires suits and evening gowns, selfies are prohibited on the red carpet, and you must at least be able to say “Bonjour” and “Merci” in French.
All of these rules exist to maintain a sense of authority.
Just from these, you can get a sense of the festival’s awards criteria.
Cannes is authoritative and conservative. Why? Because that’s the general disposition of the public.
People don’t admire a free-spirited film festival; they admire one with authority.
And they don’t desire radical films; they want conservative, familiar, and stable ones.
Cannes understood this, which is how it has remained the number one in the film world.
Tradition. Dignity. And modern conservatism…
While the jury consists of renowned figures of the time, the jurors themselves are selected by the festival organizers. Thus, the festival’s character never changes.
And Cannes doesn’t resist the tide of the times.
If the public desires stability, a stable film is chosen.
If the public desires radicalism, a radical film is chosen.
Sometimes, Cannes even opens with a Hollywood film, proving it follows trends faster than anyone.
For this reason, ‘Sound’ should never have been invited to the Cannes Film Festival.
It wasn’t about whether it had been screened before the festival or that its box office performance was underwhelming. None of that mattered.
The problem was that it featured zombies.
Of course, those zombies weren’t literal. They were a metaphorical expression of the protagonist’s inner perception of others as monstrous, lonely beings.
But the mere concept of “zombies” is genre-specific and leans toward sci-fi. And Cannes never puts genre or sci-fi films in its main ‘In Competition’ section. They’re relegated to secondary sections.
Yet ‘Sound’ was invited to the main ‘In Competition’ section?
At this point, So Tae-woong already sensed the possibility of winning an award.
Now, the question was: which award would it be?
Strong alcohol stung his tongue. The scent of whiskey filled his throat as it wafted up.
As he took another sip, holding about four drops in his mouth, So Tae-woong’s mind spun intensely.
Though Cannes is conservative, it doesn’t mean it won’t award radical films.
Just look at Julia Ducournau’s ‘Titane’. The reason that film won the Palme d’Or was precisely because it was the most radical film in history.
But that type of “radicalism” is a Western-driven, ‘68 movement-style radicalism, akin to the US Democratic Party’s. It’s not the kind of radicalism that embraces Asia.
And it hasn’t been long since ‘Parasite’ won the Palme d’Or.
So, the Palme d’Or is out.
By the same logic, second and third place (the Grand Prix and Jury Prize) are also out.
Frankly, there are a few films better than ‘Sound’. Even though he made the movie, So Tae-woong had to admit what was true. Who says art is subjective? For those in the know, there’s nothing more objective. So Tae-woong could roughly predict who would take first, second, and third place, even if he didn’t know the exact order.
That left four awards.
Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.
First off, ‘Sound’ doesn’t have a male lead. Best Actor is out.
If a kid wins the Best Screenplay award, seasoned screenwriters will raise hell. Best Screenplay is out.
Park Chan-wook won Best Director not long ago for ‘Decision to Leave’. Best Director is out.
So, what’s left for ‘Sound’, a rare female-led film?
A film that deals with disability, adolescence, an Asian protagonist, and the loneliness of the younger generation. A film that could earn Cannes political points and deflect criticism of being out of touch?
At this point, So Tae-woong’s thoughts paused.
He took another sip of his drink.
He could only recall that the youngest Best Actor award at Cannes had gone to a 14-year-old boy.
How old was the youngest Best Actress winner again?
The youngest Best Actress was 12.
“Kim Byul from ‘Sound.’ Congratulations!”
Cannes, a city in the south of France.
The Cannes Film Festival. The red carpet. The sound of camera shutters. An ill-fitting dress. Anxiety. The excitement of those around her. A standing ovation. Cheers. Blinding lights.
Kim Byul, a first-year student at Baekhak Arts High School, felt her mind spinning in confusion, overwhelmed by the flood of words and sensations. That confusion led to a near stumble as she rose from her seat, her legs trembling.
At that moment, someone beside her caught her.
It was a boy draped in a blanket.
Amid the applause and cheers, she couldn’t hear the boy’s voice.
But he pointed with his finger toward something.
It was the stage, where a gleaming trophy awaited her.
The path she was supposed to take.
Even in the midst of the chaos that seemed to turn the world upside down,
Kim Byul knew, instinctively, in that moment.