[Herald Interview] ‘Bargain’ stars say Cannes seems 'like a dream'

The cast of "Bargain" did not hide their excitement and anticipation as Tving's new crime thriller competes at this year's Cannes International Series Festival, setting a major milestone as the first Korean streaming service to be invited to the international television event.

“When I walked out of the airport, a foreign fan came up to me with posters of my past films," said Jin Sun-kyu, adding that it was the first time a foreign fan asked for his autograph overseas. "I wondered if I really became famous," Jin said during an online interview from Cannes, France on Sunday, ahead of a screening of "Bargain" later in the day.

“At that very moment, I realized that I had really been invited to Cannes,” the actor noted.

“We also met some fans with ‘Bargain’ posters. We have been feeling the growing interest in Korean creative content at various film and creative content-related events, but witnessing it in person was interesting,” said Jun Jong-seo, who debuted at the Cannes Film Festival with director Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” in 2018, reflecting on her Cannes experience five years ago.

Chang Ryul, 34, who made a name for himself with Netflix’s action series “My Name” (2021), said that almost everything he experienced in Cannes felt unreal.

“I asked my parents if this is what people call success,” Chang said, his face beaming.

“I received a lot of text messages from people, from close friends to long lost friends who have not been in touch for years. 'Bargain' definitely brought about many changes," the actor told The Korea Herald.

“I was surprised to meet so many fans who have a huge interest in Korean content. I am having a hard time getting over the jet lag, but even the small experiences, like walking on the beach of Cannes, feels like a dream," Chang added.

The three actors were invited to Canneseries, which started on April 14 and is scheduled to run through Wednesday, to promote their six-part crime thriller “Bargain,” which is being shown alongside nine other projects, including Israel’s 2022 series “Carthago” and South Africa’s “Spinners.”

The Tving series is vying for awards in the best series, best music and best screenplay categories, as well as a special award for best cast performance.

“Being invited to this prestigious festival is a great honor in itself, but as we spend more time in Cannes, I have a lot on my mind," Jin said with a big smile, suggesting his high hopes for the series.

The lead actors are eager to see the response of international fans, industry insiders and foreign reporters to “Bargain,” a project they believe holds many unique Korean cultural characteristics.

“Our series contains Korean-style jokes that create a number of comedic moments. These may be a little difficult for the foreign viewers to understand. But I hope there will be a lot of laughter and smiles when we screen the series,” Chang said.

“I hope the viewers enjoy the series from start to finish. If there is one thing I hope to see or hear after the screening, it would be an interjection like 'bravo!'” Jin continued.

Adapted from a short film of the same title by Lee Chung-hyun, “Bargain” centers around Hyung-soo (played by Jin), a middle-aged man who goes to a remote motel to bargain for sex.

But, unbeknownst to him, he has been lured to the motel by people attempting to harvest and sell his organs.

The Tving’s series took the original film further by adding an unexpected earthquake scene, in which the characters struggle to survive.

The six-part series is available to stream on Tving and is scheduled to premiere globally via Paramount+ in the first half of 2023. The exact release date is yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the Canneseries awards and closing ceremony are scheduled to be broadcast live on April 19.