It was morning in Korea, but in Cannes, France, where the Cannes Film Festival was in its mid-session, it was just past midnight on the 4th. The time was around 1 o’clock. When the world-class festival that had been bustling all day had momentarily fallen into a lull, Kang Woo-jin was found in his hotel room.
“hmm-”
A picture of her lying on the bed in comfortable clothes. Her face and hair were natural, as if she had just washed up. Of course, the concept of her face was also nowhere to be found.
Judging from his condition, he doesn’t seem to be sleeping yet.
-Ugh.
Woojin was lying down and looking at his phone. He had been checking local French media until just before, and just now he changed it to the situation in Korea. The first search term was the Cannes Film Festival. It was already an incredibly hot keyword, so articles were being created every minute, and among them, the one that was being viewed the most caught Woojin Kang’s eye.
『[Cannes Film Festival] Closing Ceremony and Awards Ceremony at 7 PM on October 10th in Cannes, 3 AM in Korea···Live broadcast confirmed on YouTube!』
It was related to the closing and awards ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival. It coincided with the official schedule.
“Oh, this is going to be broadcast live. I have to tell Mom and Dad.”
The festival will be held until the 9th and will end on the same night, when the final decision will be made by the 10 official Cannes jury members. The finale will take place at 7pm on the 10th. There will also be a red carpet event at the closing ceremony and awards ceremony, and a party-style after-party has also been confirmed.
Soon, Kang Woo-jin scratched his chin.
“Don’t be so sly, didn’t you say it was just a time for people to praise each other?”
It was true. The Cannes Film Festival party and after-party naturally attracts tens of thousands of invited guests, but the real highlight was the celebration party for the winners of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Interviews with numerous reporters, certification shots, conversations with big names, etc.
Even if you just imagine it, it was Kang Woo-jin who was breathtaking.
“Oh, man, I guess I won’t be able to fix it. I’ll just have to get out of here. Oh, but if ‘Leech’ wins some kind of award, does that mean I have to leave it alone?”
There are about 7 types of awards in the ‘competition category’. If ‘Leech’ won even one of them, it would be a jackpot. At least that’s what Kang Woo-jin thought. However, Woo-jin didn’t think he would receive an award. It’s not that he had no expectations, but this was not a domestic stage, but a world stage. Globally renowned actors were in attendance.
Above all else.
‘Are we at a disadvantage?’
Perhaps, it was impossible to overlook the presence of colored glasses or moderate discrimination. The transmission of information was Choi Sung-geon. Although it is said that it has decreased a lot compared to the past, Choi Sung-geon’s judgment was that it cannot be guaranteed that there is none at all. As a reference, the candidates for the Best Actor and Best Actress awards in the ‘Competition’ section of the Cannes Film Festival are decided by an official jury of 10 people. There are a total of 20 works, so there are only 20 candidates. They are reduced from there.
After that, the final winner will be decided.
Of course, at the awards ceremony, they don’t necessarily list all the candidates, but usually one of the ten judges announces the winner. If you think about it, it’s like Kang Woo-jin and Shim Han-ho from ‘Leech’ are having a friendly competition. In ‘Leech’, one of Kang Woo-jin and Shim Han-ho will be chosen.
A showdown between Korea’s greatest actor, Shim Ha-jin, and Kang Woo-jin, who is in his second year of acting.
In addition, he had to compete with 19 amazing actors from around the world. The selection was up to the judges, so Kang Woo-jin decided to empty his mind even more.
“Tsk, I don’t know. Let’s go to sleep first.”
It was already 2 AM, so Woojin closed his eyes. He was tired, so he fell asleep quickly.
So 8 hours later.
“······I slept really well.”
Kang Woojin opened his eyes again at around 10 in the morning. Since arriving at Cannes, Woojin had been able to sleep in late. Compared to his previous hellish schedule, it was quite relaxed. Soon, Woojin got up from his bed, stretched, and looked out the window.
“The weather is so nice~”
Today, too, Cannes was sunny and the streets were overflowing with people. After about an hour, Choi Sung-geon and the staff entered Kang Woo-jin’s room. Aside from the work they had to do, it was like a vacation for them, so Choi Sung-geon gained some weight.
“Woojin, let’s start by choosing the closing tuxedo.”
The stylists, including Han Ye-jeong, listed the tuxedos that Woojin would wear at the closing ceremony and awards ceremony. Different colors and completely different details. Woojin, who had a solid concept, looked through the tuxedos solemnly. Hmm, I’m getting tired of black now.
Kang Woo-jin’s decision.
“With this.”
It was a white-toned tuxedo. Han Ye-jeong, with her short blue hair, gave a thumbs up, apparently satisfied.
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“Okay, I was going to recommend this to you too. The closing ceremony and awards ceremony are the finale, so it has to stand out.”
“I think so too.”
“Okay. Then I’ll fix it with this.”
The stylist team rushed out carrying the tuxedos that had been listed. Then, Choi Sung-geon, who had been sitting with his legs crossed, stood up.
“The official schedule for ‘Leech’ is a few small interviews, no closing ceremony or awards ceremony – what are you going to do today?”
“I think I’ll look at the script for ‘Beneficial Evil’ in the morning.”
It was a joke. But it was impossible for Choi Sung-geon to figure out Kang Woo-jin’s shameless iron plate.
“Oh, I was going to tell you. It’s been confirmed that ‘Beneficial Evil’ will be divided into two parts. I just got a call from General Manager Kim So-hyang. Episodes 1 to 6 are Part 1, and the goal is to focus on that and speed it up to launch it as quickly as possible. Part 2 will follow after that.”
“Is that so?”
“Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Pick Sung-geon patted Woo-jin on the shoulder.
“The advertising effect of this Cannes will be quite great, both domestically and internationally. People are already asking for advice. Do you know how many articles were written by the media when you entered the opening ceremony with Kara?”
You must have been very excited. Woojin was the same, but the more he was excited, the more he lowered his voice.
“I saw it.”
“It would be great if ‘Leech’ was invited to the Cannes ‘Competition’ category, but if it wins any award, its popularity will increase several times. The foreign press will also cover it a lot, so naturally you will be in the spotlight too.”
“It will even extend to ‘beneficial evil’.”
“Okay, that’s correct.”
Choi Sung-geon smiled faintly.
“If ‘Leech’ takes the Palme d’Or, the highest award at Cannes, it would be a huge success, as it would be the first for a Korean film.”
He gave a thumbs up to the indifferent Kang Woo-jin.
“If you win Best Actor there, it would be a real nuclear bomb, but it’s still just a wish.”
Same time.
Rumors about Kang Woo-jin were spreading like wildfire among those invited to the Cannes Film Festival, especially among French reporters and Cannes officials.
“You saw ‘Leech’ yesterday? How was it?”
“That was great. Oh, I’m talking about the actor Kang Woo-jin from ‘Leech’.”
“There’s a lot of talk about that actor, why Kang Woo-jin?”
“I guess he lived around here. His French was amazing when he greeted me before the screening.”
“French? You didn’t practice it?”
“No. It was at a local level. If you close your eyes and listen, anyone would think it wasn’t a Korean actor.”
To be precise, I should say that rather than rumors, illusions and misunderstandings spread rapidly. Maybe it was the power of the 3,000 audience members who attended the second screening of ‘Leech’?
“Ahhh- ‘Leech’ comes to mind again.”
“Is it really that shocking?”
“The work was great, but the actors’ performances were especially impressive. Kang Woo-jin in particular.”
“I heard a rumor that that actor spoke French. Is it true?”
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“That’s right. That actor must have come to France to study, or maybe he lived here.”
The French that Kang Woo-jin suddenly started to speak was the starting point. Since it was a gift from a subspace, the level was also at a local level. So it was natural that the misunderstanding would spread throughout the Cannes Film Festival. However, it wasn’t just stories filled with such errors that were spreading.
There were some truths that were not misunderstandings.
Kang Woo-jin is mentioned repeatedly in the mouths of directors from various countries who have seen ‘The Leech’.
“Are you sure this is your first time at Cannes, actor Kang Woo-jin, whom you saw yesterday? Isn’t it strange that an actor with that level of acting ability is coming to Cannes for the first time?”
“It’s definitely the first time this year, because the Korean media is saying the same thing.”
“······This is the first time I’ve seen such creepy acting.”
“It was definitely different.”
“Please check about Kang Woojin.”
There are directors from many countries, including France, but the directors from Hollywood in particular were in an uproar.
“Check the situation in Korea regarding Kang Woo-jin.”
“All right.”
“I thought the Korean actor who worked with Miley Cara on an album was Kang Woo-jin. Does he have no connection to Hollywood in terms of his work?”
“For now, yes.”
“······Director Danny asked to shake his hand yesterday, he liked it.”
“I will check as soon as possible.”
Kang Woo-jin’s acting in ‘Leech’ left a deep impression on many directors with its tension that seemed to go beyond the method and bring in a real person.
“I need to find a way to watch Kang Woo-jin’s past works and see with my own eyes what kind of acting he has done.”
Of course, aside from his outrageous acting, Kang Woo-jin’s unique aura also impressed the directors who came to Cannes.
“His acting is acting, but his energy is something different. The power to captivate the audience. He smells like a star.”
Even so, it was only a reaction limited to one work, ‘Leech’. If many directors saw Woojin’s past or future works, they would go crazy even more. That was the case when looking at the current situation.
However, looking at the Cannes Film Festival as a whole, there were more people who had not seen ‘Leech’.
The total number of people attending the two screenings of ‘Leech’ was 6,000. On the other hand, the number of people officially invited to the Cannes Film Festival was tens of thousands, and including tourists, the number was hundreds of thousands. That’s why there were more people who were curious about the rumors about Kang Woo-jin that were spreading.
“Isn’t ‘Leech’ the only Korean film in the ‘competition’ category? It’s a bit noisy.”
“Well, the piece is a piece of work, but there are also a lot of rumors about the actor named Kang Woo-jin.”
“Kang Woojin? Who was it?”
“Walked in with Miley Cara at the opening ceremony.”
“Ahhhh- That actor? What happened?”
“Well, I’ve heard it’s quite unusual.”
Whatever it was, Woojin’s popularity was on the rise.
since.
The Cannes Film Festival, which has passed its midpoint, has become more and more heated and intense as it approaches its end. As such, the film industry in France, Hollywood, and other countries have also been constantly releasing news related to the Cannes Film Festival.
It was the same in Korea.
In Korea, where many issues are still prevalent.
『Miley Kara, who entered the red carpet of the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival with Kang Woo-jin, surpasses 70 million views for the new album teaser』
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『[Issue Talk] What will Kang Woo-jin look like in the music video for Miley Cara’s new album, scheduled to be released on the 12th?』
As expected, news about the Cannes Film Festival was exploding. The mere fact that ‘Leech’ had made it to Cannes was already noisy, but the fact that issues from Cannes, starting with Kang Woo-jin, were quickly transmitted to Korea gave it even more power.
Actually, the Korean media was in an uproar from the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.
『10 judges of this year’s Cannes International Film Festival standing on the red carpet, the fate of ‘Leech’ lies in their hands / Photo』
『[Cannes Film Festival] ‘Leech’ giant poster hanging on the wall of a large building, ‘Kang Woo-jin’s’ face flutters in Cannes! / Photo』
『“We worked on our album together.” Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara walk side by side on the opening ceremony red carpet/ Photo』
The Cannes Film Festival has already started its fifth day, but the temperature of the Korean media is already soaring. The same goes for various media outlets such as broadcasting.
『Kang Woo-jin posing for reporters before the official screening of ‘Leech’ in the ‘Competition Section’ / Photo』
『[Film Festival] Miley Cara Busily Moving to See ‘Leech’』
『Hollywood big-time directors, including director Danny Landis, are coming to see ‘Leech’/ Photo』
At this point, not only the domestic entertainment industry, but the entire Republic of Korea was paying attention to the Cannes Film Festival. The issue was reported on the news every day, and Cannes was constantly talked about on YouTube, SNS, and various communities.
-ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅠㅠWoojin oppa on the red carpet… He’s so cool… .
-What the heckㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It feels like I’m watching the World Cupㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-It’s so amazing that all the world’s greatest directors are going to watch Korean films;;
-I’m just a hanger-on anyway
-↑ㅂㅅ아 The fact that Korea is the only one to advance to the Cannes competition category is already awesome… .
-ㅋㅋㅋ Don’t Kang Woojin and Miley Kara look really close??? Are they dating?????
-I want to see Leech too…. Isn’t it released in Korea??
-While I’m at it, I hope I can win a prize haha
-I’m rooting for you!!!
-F*ck Khan, this closing ceremony is supposed to be at 3 in the morning, but I’m still holding out…
-Kang Woojin is so fucking cool;;;;
-Jeba RyuㅠㅠㅠㅠWin the Golden Palm Award!!
-The Golden Palm Award goes to Eva ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ She also has a moderate amount of patriotism ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
South Korea was literally shaking with the Cannes Film Festival.
Then, on the morning of the 5th, in Korea.
A conference room of a large distribution company in Seoul. At least 20 people are sitting at a U-shaped desk. A beam projector is shooting straight ahead. What’s interesting is that the images being displayed are posters for “Leech” and related content from the Cannes Film Festival.
It was natural.
This place was the official distributor of ‘Leech’. Of course, some executives, including the film company of ‘Leech’ and the representative of this distributor, were in Cannes. However, they could not all go, and the distributor in particular had a lot of work to do in Korea, not Cannes.
Right now, I was working on one very important task among many.
Soon, the bespectacled executive sitting at the L-shaped desk spoke while flipping through the documents he was looking at.
“Regardless of the Cannes performance of ‘Leech,’ it is already a hot topic, so it would be right to release it as soon as possible.”
Other executives also joined in one by one.
“Yes, Director Ahn said that too. It’s something we’ve been preparing for since the beginning of the production of ‘Leech.’”
“We need to release it domestically within two weeks at the earliest, or three weeks at the latest, starting from the 11th, when the Cannes Film Festival ends.”
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“I know you started securing a theater a while ago, but how is it going?”
A team leader answered quickly.
“Yes, work to secure a theater was already underway before ‘Leech’ even started cranking up.”
“Well. Then there should be no problem in releasing ‘Leech’ within three weeks after Cannes ends. The promotion and marketing are basically just starting with the Cannes Film Festival. It’s already bustling.”
“In addition, we plan to advertise ‘Leech’ domestically as much as we can for three weeks before its release.”
The bespectacled executive turned the page again and nodded.
“3 weeks – maximum 3 weeks after Cannes ends, so October 27th would be a good opening date.”
At this point, another executive, who had something on his mind, muttered:
“Wait a minute, it’ll be released in Japan by then too.”
“what?”
“I’m talking about Kang Woo-jin’s ‘The Stranger’. It’s not confirmed, but if he said it’s going to be released at the end of October, then the timing is almost right.”
‘Leech’, ‘Parasite’.
“Ah- So the two movies are going to be released around the same time?”
It was a simultaneous sortie.
end
