South Korean director Park Chan-wook joked that he did not want to award the Palme d'Or to any filmmaker during a post-ceremony press conference [1].
As the first Korean jury president in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, Park's leadership marks a significant milestone for South Korean cinema on the global stage. His comments highlight the prestige and elusive nature of the festival's highest honor.
Park said the impulse to withhold the award stemmed from the fact that he has never received the Palme d'Or himself [1, 2]. Despite his success at the festival, the top prize remained out of reach during his previous entries. He has previously won Cannes awards for the film Oldboy for Best Director, Thirst for Best Actor, and Decision to Leave for Best Screenplay [2].
While the director used humor to describe the process, he emphasized that the final selections were based on merit. Park said that the jury judged the entries fairly based solely on the works, excluding nationality, genre, and ideology [2].
The jury eventually awarded the Palme d'Or to Romanian director Cristian Mungiu for the film 'Fjord' [2]. The decision followed a rigorous deliberation process led by Park and his fellow jurors in Cannes, France [1, 2].
“"I didn't want to give the Palme d'Or to anyone"”
Park Chan-wook's appointment as jury president reflects the growing institutional influence of South Korean directors in international cinema. By joking about his own lack of a Palme d'Or, Park acknowledges the specific prestige of the award while simultaneously asserting that the jury's final decision was insulated from personal bias or national interests.
