Three Korean films to be featured at Cannes

Three Korean films have been invited to this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, according to the movies’ local promoters.

Actress Bae Doo-na’s latest drama film “A Girl at My Door” will be screened in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section, along with Ryan Gosling’s “Lost River” and Wang Chao’s “Fantasia,” and 16 others, while director Chang’s “The Target” has been included in the Midnight Screenings section. Chung-Ang University student Kwon Hyun-ju’s short “Breath” will be screened in the Cinefondation section.

“A Girl at My Door” is filmmaker July Jung’s feature debut. It tells the story of a policewoman named Young-nam (Bae), who gets placed in a rural port town after being demoted in the city.

The plot of the film develops as Young-nam meets local teenager Do-hee (played by Kim Sae-ron), who is exposed to constant physical abuse, and tries to find ways to help her. Actor Song Sae-byeok, who gave memorable performances in “The Servant” (2010) and “The Suck Up Project” (2012), is appearing as Do-hee’s stepfather.

Director Chang’s “The Target” is a Korean remake of 2010 French action-thriller “Point Blank.” Starring Ryu Seung-ryong (“Miracle in Cell No. 7”) and Yoo Jun-sang, the film evolves around an ordinary doctor who is desperate to save his pregnant and kidnapped wife, as well as an ex-mercenary killer who is framed for the murder of an influential corporate leader.

Meanwhile, Kwon Hyun-ju’s short film “Breath” has been included in the festival’s Cinefondation section, which focuses on films made by film school students. Kwon’s film, which deals with the emotional turmoil of a daughter whose mother has been living in a coma, is one of the 16 films selected. A total of 1,631 films were submitted for the section, from 320 different schools worldwide.

No Korean films are in this year’s competition lineup. Im Sang-soo’s drama “The Taste of Money” was the last Korean film to be screened in competition at Cannes, in 2012.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)