Director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film, 'COLONY', has made a spectacular debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
Invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the festival, 'COLONY' successfully held its world premiere at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, which began at 12:50 AM (local time) on the 15th.
'COLONY' follows isolated survivors trapped inside a building during a mysterious infection outbreak as they face infected individuals who evolve in unpredictable ways. With this film, director Yeon Sang-ho returns to the Cannes Midnight Screenings section for the first time in 10 years since 'Train to Busan', while lead actress Jun Ji-hyun experienced the thrill of being officially invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in her career.
Prior to the world premiere, director Yeon Sang-ho and actors Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, and Kim Shin-rok attended the red carpet event, where they were met with a flurry of flashes from global media. The 'COLONY' team offered heartfelt fan service to those who had waited around the venue, as the red carpet began well past the scheduled time due to delays from the previous screening.
Director Park Chan-wook, this year’s Cannes Film Festival jury president, made a surprise appearance on the 'COLONY' red carpet despite his busy schedule of watching multiple films a day. Alongside Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, Park greeted his fellow Korean filmmakers on the steps of the Lumière Theatre, warmly embracing director Yeon Sang-ho and each of the actors to show his support and encouragement for the 'COLONY' team.
As the screening began, the Grand Théâtre Lumière erupted with cheers the moment the production company logos appeared, followed by laughter and gasps throughout the film. The audience, witnessing the birth of a new species for the first time, remained fully immersed, breathing in sync with the characters on screen at every moment.
When the film ended and the credits rolled, the theater burst into cheers and applause. Notably, the screening concluded with a 7-minute standing ovation. Moved by the enthusiastic response, director Yeon Sang-ho shared his joy with the Cannes audience, greeting them with a bright smile. The actors who watched the film also expressed their overwhelming emotions at the cheers filling the theater.
Director Yeon Sang-ho shared his thoughts, saying, "It is a true honor to present 'COLONY' at the Cannes Film Festival, a place I have always dreamed of. This will be a memory I cherish for a very long time throughout my filmmaking career." In response to the continued applause, he expressed his gratitude in French, saying, "Merci beaucoup."
Praise from prestigious film festivals and international media followed. Samuel Jamier, President of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), lauded the film, stating, "'COLONY' introduces a new physical grammar to the zombie genre; it is formally innovative and possesses a visceral tension, making it an unprecedented work in current genre cinema." The festival also selected 'COLONY' as the opening film for its North American premiere in celebration of the NYAFF’s 25th anniversary.
French magazine Trois Couleurs commented, "This well-crafted premise provides the perfect framework for director Yeon Sang-ho, who is adept at thriller and horror genres, to direct intense, precise, and immersive action sequences. It is sometimes reminiscent of a video game world." Matt Neglia, editor of the entertainment awards website Next Best Picture, praised the film as "a relentless thrill ride from start to finish, offering immense genre pleasure."
Having successfully completed its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, 'COLONY' is set to be released in Korea on May 21.
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(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)