Do-hee, So-hee, Dora — all three features selected for Cannes
'Cannes has been your most steadfast supporter'
Director Jung Joo-ri of "Dora" has received the Chevalier of France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The French government recognized her achievement of having all three of her feature films selected for the Cannes Film Festival.
The French Embassy in Korea announced Wednesday that Jung received the honor at "French Night 2026," held Saturday at Paradise Hotel Busan. French Night brings together Korean and French filmmakers for cultural exchange. This year's event was held during the 31st Busan International Film Festival to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
France's Ministry of Culture awards the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres to individuals who have made creative contributions to the arts and culture or have helped advance French and global cultural development. The order has three grades: Chevalier, Officier and Commandeur.
Jung's connection with Cannes began with her debut feature. "Do-hee" (known internationally as "A Girl at My Door") was invited to the Un Certain Regard section in 2014, and her second feature, "Next Sohee," became the first Korean film to close Critics' Week in 2022. Her latest work, "Dora," had its world premiere at Directors' Fortnight this year. Jung is the first Korean female director to have all three of her feature films selected for Cannes.
"I wondered whether I deserved this honor, but I thought of the French audiences I met across France — in Paris, Cannes, Metz and Strasbourg," Jung said in her acceptance remarks. "Their encouragement confirmed again the power of cinema — that the lives in a film can become everyone's story." She added: "That power gave me the courage to make a co-production unlike anything before. Today, buoyed by this great encouragement, I will work harder than ever."
"Dora" was developed jointly by Korea, France and Luxembourg from the planning stage. Japanese actor Ando Sakura and French cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky also participated. The story is one Jung first conceived around age 20 after reading Freud's "Dora" case study. She began pursuing the project in earnest in 2019 but faced multiple setbacks along the way.
Michel Miraillet, France's chargé d'affaires in Korea, who presented the decoration, said: "I think it is fair to say that the Cannes Film Festival has become your most steadfast supporter and most devoted fan." He added that Jung's work "brings before us characters who are unassuming yet resilient and strong, rendered through a gaze of great sensitivity."
Jung studied visual media at Sungkyunkwan University before going on to study film at the Korea National University of Arts. Her short film "Man Under the Influence" (2007), made while she was still a student, won the Sonje Award at the Busan International Film Festival. Director Lee Chang-dong produced her feature debut, "Do-hee," which follows Yeong-nam (Bae Doona), a police officer demoted to a seaside village precinct, who encounters a girl named Do-hee (Kim Sae-ron) suffering from abuse. The film earned Jung the best debut award at the Stockholm International Film Festival and the rookie director prize at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
"Next Sohee" was inspired by the 2017 death of a high school student doing a vocational internship at a call center in Jeonju. Reuniting Jung with Bae Doona, the film won the screenplay award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the directing award at the Buil Film Awards and the screenplay award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. After its release, legislation aimed at preventing similar tragedies was introduced in the National Assembly.
"Dora" follows 18-year-old Dora (Kim Do-yeon), who suffers from an unexplained skin condition and, during a summer stay at a villa on the southern coast, meets Nami (Ando Sakura) and experiences love for the first time. In interviews at Cannes, Jung noted that Freud's case study contains no voice from Dora herself. The film was invited to the Gala Presentation section of this year's Busan International Film Festival, where it met domestic audiences for the first time. A Korean theatrical release is targeted for 2027.
At the same event, cinematographer Jang Byeong-uk of the drama series "We Are All Trying Here" received the Angénieux Cinematographer Award. The prize honors creators who have contributed to the art of cinema from behind the camera; Angénieux, a cinema lens manufacturer under France's Thales Group, presents it during the Cannes Film Festival. This was the first time the award has been presented in Korea.
"It is a great honor to receive the inaugural recognition of this award established by Angénieux and Thales in the year marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea," Jang said. He added that French cinema's distinctive visual aesthetics and spirit of creative freedom had always been "a great landmark and source of learning" for his own work.
About 150 filmmakers from both countries attended the event, including Busan International Film Festival Chairman Park Gwang-su and French directors Judith Godrèche, Bertrand Mandico and Emmanuel Marre. "I hope this will grow into a platform where young creators from Korea and France learn from each other and grow together," Park said.
shee@heraldcorp.com
