When we meet him on a sunny terrace of the Palais des Festivals, Song Kang-Ho smiles, and says he has many happy memories in Cannes. And for good reason: the South Korean actor has visited the Film Festival several times for works such as The Host, by Bong Joon-Ho in 2006, or The Good, the Bad and the Crazy by Kim Jee-woon in 2008. But it is with his interpretation of an outdated father in the stinging Parasite that he reaches international fame, the film (by Bong Joon-Ho, again) winning the Palme d'Or in 2019, followed by the Oscar for best film. As of 2021, Song Kang-Ho is a member of the festival's jury. Before being rewarded the following year with the prize for best actor for The Good Stars, by Hirokazu Kore-Eda.
To discover
- Join La Fabrique Littéraire Madame Figaro, between writing workshops and exclusive meetings with prestigious writers
At 56 years old, Song Kang-Ho is a little at home, happy to be in Cannes, which gives him back. The day before, Friday, May 25, he presented Kim Jee-woon's new film, Cobweb (In the web, Editor's note), presented out of competition: he plays a director of the 70s, obsessed with the idea of reshooting the end of his last film to make it a masterpiece. And who, for this, does not hesitate to sequester in a studio recalcitrant actors, a producer in panic, and an agent of the censorship committee threatening. A fierce and joyful film about cinema, of which Song Kang-Ho is now one of the essential and most admired faces.
In video, Cannes, the climb of the steps of May 25
A story of loyalty
Madame Figaro.-You said that what seduced you in a film was above all the story it told. What did you like about Cobweb?
Song Kang-Ho.-It was especially its format, this "film within the film", more than the story that attracted me. In the United States or Europe, there are many films that take place on a set, while in Korea, it is a rather rare subject. It is this singularity that seduced me, in addition, the "strange" tone of the whole.
Are there any directors you were inspired by for your role as Mr. Kim?
More than one person, I think it was my experience, accumulated in the various shootings, that intervened.
You are very loyal to certain directors. How does working with them oftennourish and evolve your work?
I am extremely lucky as I am the actor who has done the most collaborations with very great Korean directors, such as Kim Jee-woon, Park Chan-wook, Boon Jong-ho... Obviously, the actor is not a being who chooses. I know I'm very lucky because I've been lucky repeatedly. At the same time, we are always looking for novelty. This quest for experience contributes to an organic formation of my work, and provides it with dynamism, a driving force. Without her, I would never have met Hirokazu Kore-Eda, and would never have been awarded last year at Cannes.
You started in the theater where there is a troupe spirit. Cobweb shows how cinema is also a collective adventure. Do you need to work in a team?
This is the difference of cinema, compared to other artistic genres such as fine arts or music: you can only work with others. It's a genre where I don't exist because the other exists. And the other does not exist because I exist.
In video, "06400 Cannes" episode 2, our postcard from the Film Festival
Infinite quest
Sorry for the philosophical side of this question but in Cobweb, the director, Mr. Kim, wants to make a film that denounces the absurdity of life. Do you agree with himthat cinema is less vain?
This question is at the heart of the film, yes. In Cobweb, the director seems to be shaped by his passion for art. But deep down, what he shows is mostly desires. Both the desire of the characters in his film, but also the desire of all those who intervene in the studio. All this forms a kind of spiral that ends in a great catastrophe. That's what cinema is all about: a story of desire.
What does Cobweb say about Korean cinema?
What is portrayed in the film is unthinkable nowadays, it takes place in the early 70s, quite a long time ago. Of course, this is a tribute to the filmmakers of the time. But at the same time, we can feel this quest for passion, purity in the director and the actors. When you're an artist, you're bound to be influenced by someone. And we struggle to find ourselves, ourselves, in the middle of all this. This film takes a look at that aspect.
And you, have you found what is specifically "you"?
Can I give you a very philosophical answer (laughs)? What I find fascinating about human beings is that we are constantly looking for an answer to this question. And the more we think we know it, the more we realize that it does not exist. What matters is to live by continuing to look for it.
