Cannes Film Festival 2024: 10 South Korean films that set a remarkable moment at Festival de Cannes by winning big

New Delhi: During the last two decades, the most important film festivals across the globe have seen an influx of Korean filmmakers. Several South Korean films, known for their innovative style and thought-provoking issues, have been shown at Cannes, which has formed a strong preference for these films.

Many South Korean films, spanning many genres, compete for and receive awards at this prestigious festival.

These 10 Korean films offer fascinating plots and inventive storytelling. If you haven’t seen any of these yet, here are the plot ideas for you.

1. Chihwaseon (2002)

Kim Byung Moon rescues Jang Seung Eop from drifters in the 1850s. Seung Eop draws a picture to explain why he was beaten. Byung Moon observes his gifted skill. Years later, he offers Seung Eop the pen name Oh Won and encourages him to be an artist. His artwork of a monkey with a liquor bottle mocking the world shows his brushstroke’s strength. He wants to evolve and grow as fame grows.

2. Old Boy (2003)

Without understanding his captor’s goals, Oh Dae Soo spent fifteen years locked up in a hotel-like chamber. He gets entangled in a web of violence and intrigue when he is ultimately liberated. When he develops romantic feelings for Mi Do, a beautiful sushi chef, his quest for revenge takes an unexpected turn.

3. Secret Sunshine (2007)

A single mother named Lee Shin Ae moves to Miryang, the birthplace of her late husband, in search of a fresh start after she loses him. In the wake of a devastating incident, Shin Ae goes on a soul-crushing quest that challenges her basic beliefs about God, love, forgiveness, and mankind.

4. Poetry (2010)

An elderly woman in her 60s takes care of her grandchild on her own while also caring for a disabled guy. Despite the challenges posed by Alzheimer’s illness, she persists in pursuing her long-held ambition of becoming a poet.

5. Arirang (2011)

The South Korean documentary Arirang, directed by Kim Ki Duk, delves into the director’s personal dilemma, which was ignited by an event that occurred while shooting Dream—an episode in which the main actress was almost killed by hanging—and the departure of two close colleagues.

6. Safe (2013)

To pay off her dues, a lady takes a chance by working as a cashier in an underground gambling parlour and steals from the patrons. The scenario becomes much worse when one of the gamblers returns with homicidal intent after realizing he has been tricked.

7. Parasite (2019)

Being jobless and poor, Kim Gi Woo and his family of four make do in a semi-basement. His friend suggests taking up his role as a tutor for a wealthy family while he’s away for study. After Choi Yun Gyo, the Parks’ housewife, hires Gi Woo to instruct her daughter, Woo takes advantage of her innocence to get his other relatives to work for him.

8. Heaven: To the Land of Happiness (2021)

Long-term elderly prisoner No. 203 wants to leave jail quickly. One day, he finds out about his brain tumour and plans his jail escape. No. 203 meets Nam Sik, a guy with a rare incurable ailment who steals medication from hospitals because he can’t afford it, while on the run. When they mistakenly steal a lot of black money from Ms Yoon and flee, she orders to catch them.

9. Decision to Leave (2022)

Seasoned detective Hae Joon investigates the suspicious death of a man on a mountaintop. Soon, he begins to suspect Seo Rae, the deceased’s wife, while being destabilized by his attraction to her.

10. Broker (2022)

A baby box is a hidden location for parents to leave their infants. Sang Hyun negotiates a unique arrangement with potential adoptive parents for a baby who was abandoned in a box. He introduces himself as a goodwill broker. In this undertaking, Sang Hyun collaborates with Dong Soo. They get entangled with So Young, who had previously left her baby in the box but has returned to retrieve it.