Sawt Falasteen - No longer peripheral: SKorean director makes Cannes history

"I cannot help but feel a sense of emotion, realising that for the first time, a Korean has become the head of the jury" of the world's top film festival. "The moment has finally come."

He said he took it as further proof of South Korea's cultural influence, with Boon Jong Ho becoming the first Korean to win Cannes' top prize, the Palme d'Or in 2019 with "Parasite", which went on to win four Oscars.

Park, the maker of arthouse classics such as "Oldboy", "The Handmaiden" and "Decision to Leave", said there "was a long period when Korean cinema was treated as if it were from some kind of peripheral nation, yet even during that time, Korea had excellent directors and actors.

"Now Korea is playing a role as one of the central hubs of the film world, and I believe this is a movement befitting the times. It makes me think of a lot of the predecessors who were truly outstanding but never had the opportunity to be recognised internationally."

His own relationship with the Korean government has not always been smooth. Park was blacklisted for a period with a string of other artists including Boon more than a decade ago.

Since then Park, like Boon, has been embraced by Hollywood, and is about to make a Western called "The Brigands of Rattlecreek" with a galaxy of US stars including Matthew McConaughey and Pedro Pascal.

He told AFP that he loves American Westerns because they are stories about "people building something out of nothing".

"Ever since I was young, watching Western movies, I have thought that I wanted to make something like that some day."

- Works that will endure' -

The Cannes jury that Park heads also includes Hollywood stars Demi Moore and Ruth Negga as well as Chloe Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of "Nomadland".

Park told AFP that hoped that the film that wins the top prize will stand the test of time.

"I believe that awards should be given to works that will endure and be agreed upon by everyone 50 or 100 years from now."

The 62-year-old said he wanted to see the films in the running for the Palme d'Or blind, "with a sense of anticipation and excitement -- knowing nothing beforehand.

"I always try to view things through the purest and most primal eyes of an audience member," he said.

The movies in the running for the top prize include the latest melodrama from Spain's Pedro Almodovar and as well "Hope" by fellow South Korean director Na Hong-jin, starring real-life partners Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

Park insisted that he would not favour his compatriot. "Some even joked that I might go out of my way to be harsher on a Korean film, because it wouldn't look good if I appeared to be favouring it," he told AFP.

"I intend to judge everything as fairly and objectively as possible."

The Palme d'Or will be announced at the festival's closing ceremony on May 23.

L.Hussein--SF-PST