Hwang Jung-min: "'Hope' is in competition at Cannes... I hope we can win at least one award" [Cannes★Interview] ②

*This content was translated by AI.

• Selected for the competition section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival... Interview with Hwang Jung-min on the film "Hope"

Actor Hwang Jung-min, invited to the competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival for his film "Hope" in collaboration with director Na Hong-jin, smiled and said, "I hope we can win at least one award."

On the 18th (local time), Hwang Jung-min held an interview for the film "Hope" (directed by Na Hong-jin) at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, France, where the 79th Cannes International Film Festival is being held, sharing stories related to the work. "Hope" begins with the story of "Beom-seok," the head of the Pohang outpost located in the Demilitarized Zone, who hears news from local youths about the appearance of a tiger, causing the entire village to go on high alert as he encounters an unbelievable reality.

Directed by Na Hong-jin, "Hope" is his first film in 10 years since "The Wailing." It premiered worldwide at the Lumière Grand Theatre on the 17th and received a standing ovation for about seven minutes after the screening. "Hope" is a thriller that also features aliens, captivating audiences worldwide as a science fiction film.

In "Hope," Hwang Jung-min plays "Beom-seok," the head of the Pohang outpost, marking his second collaboration with director Na Hong-jin following "The Wailing." Portraying "Beom-seok," who struggles between the sense of responsibility to protect the village and fear of the unknown, Hwang Jung-min leads the film with delicate and humanistic acting.

Although Hwang Jung-min has been invited to the Cannes International Film Festival multiple times before, this is his first time in the competition section. When asked if he has expectations for winning an award, Hwang Jung-min smiled and said, "Of course, since it's a competition, I have expectations." He added, "I hope we can win at least one award. I hope the director wins the Best Director award," expressing his affection.

Hwang Jung-min shared his experience working with actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell, who played aliens in the film. He said, "When I first heard about this casting, I asked, 'Is this really happening?' I was surprised that these actors would play aliens. I thought, 'If I were in their place, would I do it?'" He explained, "That shows how much I trust director Na Hong-jin. Alicia Vikander, for example, has watched all of director Na's films and told me that working abroad is like a dream. I thought that was really cool."

He continued, "If it were me, I would be afraid and uncomfortable working in a foreign country using a different language, but I found it really cool. Since I've seen their works, I felt honored to work with them. Although they play aliens, during filming, they used face capture technology, so we could see each other's faces while acting. I was very excited and looked forward to it."

Meanwhile, the Cannes International Film Festival will announce the winners among the competition entries at the closing ceremony on the 23rd. It remains to be seen whether director Na Hong-jin's new science fiction film "Hope" will be honored with an award at the closing ceremony of this year's Cannes International Film Festival.

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*This content was translated by AI.