Jeon Ji-hyun: "To come to Cannes with a Korean film... I was overwhelmed" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Invited for the Midnight Screening at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival... Interview with Jeon Ji-hyun on the film 'COLONY'

Actress Jeon Ji-hyun attended the Cannes International Film Festival and revealed that she was overwhelmed while receiving applause from many audience members.

On the 16th (local time), Jeon Ji-hyun held an interview for the film 'COLONY' (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, in the afternoon. The film 'COLONY' was invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival and met audiences at the Grand Lumière Hall through its official screening the day before, on the 15th.

On this day, Jeon Ji-hyun shared her impressions of arriving at the Cannes Film Festival, stating, "It's wonderful. Thanks to Director Yeon Sang-ho, I am so happy to be at Cannes, which can be called the dream of all filmmakers. Although this is my third time coming to Cannes in a formal capacity, it is the first time I have been invited with a Korean film. I felt the emotional moment of the film being screened at the Grand Lumière Hall. I thought I must live with even more gratitude. I am infinitely grateful to the director."

Earlier, Jeon Ji-hyun drew attention by showing an overwhelmed demeanor during the official screening of 'COLONY' on the 15th. Regarding this, Jeon Ji-hyun said, "I was overwhelmed. Don't we all have moments where we get overwhelmed more than expected? Actually, yesterday I simulated the official screening quite a lot. We discussed what to do on the red carpet and how to react if we received a standing ovation, and I even joked that someone should cry. But even without such intention, I just got overwhelmed, and various emotions crossed my mind."

Jeon Ji-hyun, who made her screen comeback after 11 years, said, "Since the pandemic and coronavirus arrived, the film industry has changed significantly. The atmosphere has changed, and production conditions have also changed. It is true that finding a good script is not as easy as before. That is why I have been active mainly in dramas, but when I received Director Yeon Sang-ho's script after a long time, I told him, 'Isn't this how a film script should be?' I said, 'When I work on any project, I look at it more from the perspective of what audiences want to see rather than what I want to do. Especially with films, I feel a greater sense of responsibility in that regard. When I watch movies, I want to choose ones that are not too dark, that allow me to relieve stress while watching, and that I can spend my time with. I felt that 'COLONY' was exactly that kind of film.'"

The film 'COLONY' is a story about survivors trapped inside a building sealed off by an unidentified infection outbreak, fighting against infected individuals evolving in unpredictable forms. Director Yeon Sang-ho, a regular at Cannes, was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the fourth time, starting with his first feature-length animation 'King of Pigs' (2012, Directors' Fortnight), followed by 'Train to Busan' (2016, Midnight Screening section), and 'Peninsula' (2020, Official Selection). Director Yeon Sang-ho, who has left a strong impression on the global film industry with genre films that add a Korean-style zombie genre and original twists, once again demonstrated the prowess of the father of Korean zombies through 'COLONY'.

Meanwhile, 'COLONY', which was first unveiled through the Cannes Film Festival, will be released domestically on the 21st.

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*This content was translated by AI.