The sound of glasses clinking resonates in Cannes, the city of film, where global stars and media gather every year. People from all over Europe were fascinated by the three main characters of “Work Later, Drink Now” holding soju glasses and shouting, “Outside the village, on the orchard road, we drink!”
This was at the screenings for “Work Later, Drink Now” and “Monstrous” held at the Espace Miramar Theater in France on the last day of the Cannes International Series Festival (CANNESERIES). Following the screening of “Monstrous,” admiration arose for the rare Korean occult genre due to its shocking mise-en-scéne and passionate performance of the actors.
Korean OTT Original that Took Over CANNESERIES
“I have been waiting for this moment, when I could see Korean content in one place.”
Albin Lewi, General Manager of CANNESERIES
On the stage of Korea Focus, the last screening of the CANNESERIES, Albin Lewi, the general manager of the event, showed his affection for K-content in front of the audience.
CANNESERIES, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year, is a global event that selects 10 works in the competition section and 4 works in the non-competition section for dramas and series around the world. “Work Later, Drink Now” and “Monstrous” were the first Korean over-the-top (OTT) original works officially invited to the festival and were listed in the non-competitive section.
The local reactions from people in Cannes, France received more attention in the media than the fact that the series was the first Korean OTT series entering the festival. “Work Later, Drink Now” was loved for its honest and straightforward portrayal of alcohol culture in Korea. Moreover, it caught the attention of foreign audiences, proving that drinking after work is a concept familiar with viewers around the world. The drama, which portrays realistic stories about friendship, work and love all united through the concept of alcohol, showed that hyperrealism can create empathy across countries and generations.
While “Work Later, Drink Now” garnered attention for its use of alcohol as a uniting factor, “Monstrous,” which was released for the first time at CANNESERIES, was well-received for tackling Korean themes such as Buddhism, occultism and exorcism. The French media paid attention to the peculiarities of the occult theme and the directing techniques featured in the film. As reporters covered the growing popularity of K-horror, referencing the well-known film “Train to Busan” which was first released at Cannes in 2016, the release of “Monstrous” is adding to the growing prestige of the genre.
Korean Entertainment at the Center of the World’s Stage
Before COVID-19, director Joon-ho Bong’s “Parasite” redefined the industry. The non-English film took the world by storm after winning prestigious awards including the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. Director Joon-ho Bong’s speech stating the need of foreign audiences to overcome the “1-inch barrier of subtitles” was followed by another successful Korean film, “Minari”. The film took home the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards and showed that K-content continues to receive attention from people around the world.
The main posters for “Decision to Leave” and “Broker” which were invited to this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
This year as well, the Cannes International Film Festival officially invited more K-content, the films “Decision to Leave” and “Broker,” to the competition section. Notably, this is the first time that two Korean films from CJ ENM have entered the Cannes International Film Festival side by side. Their invitation to the festival is expected to have a good influence on the vitality of the Korean film market and firmly establish K-content as world-class entertainment.
The Reason for TVING’s Global Expansion to Cannes
TVING, which had two series that were invited to the Cannes International Series Festival, is also striving to globalize Korean content with the goal of becoming the No.1 Korean content platform. In less than two years since its launch as a joint venture company in October 2020, TVING has released original content every month, paving the way for Korean content to be distributed globally on OTT platforms.
In 2021, TVING continued to strive towards becoming the No.1 Korean content platform as its original content library grew with titles including “Girls’ High School Mystery Class,” “New Journey to the West: Spring Camp,” “Transit Love” and “Yumi’s Cells.” These titles garnered attention from fans and the number of subscribers has tripled since TVING’s launch. Starting this year, TVING will build momentum by expanding the platform’s value. By partnering with global media group Paramount Plus and launching direct-to-consumer (D2C) services in Southeast Asia, such as in Japan and Taiwan, TVING will enter the global market and continue to spread K-content.
