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A congratulatory screening of Safe, the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or in the short film category at the Cannes International Film Festival, was held along with a press conference on May 31st.  The event was held jointly by the Korean Film Council and the SHIN Yeong-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation with the participation of MOON Byoung-gon, director of Safe, and the actors, actresses and staff who took part in the film. “I never expected to win the prize,” MOON said. “I expected another film to win. When my name was called I was very surprised.”

 

“I feel a bigger burden after having received the prize. But what is done is done. I have to shoot my next film. For now, I will focus on my next project. I will do my best,” MOON added.

 

Safe, a 13-minute short, tells the story of a college girl who is caught stealing some money from an illegal gambling site where she exchanges money for chips. “I like the message. The exchange box grows into a safe. I submitted the movie to the Cannes International Film Festival and I think the message really worked,” MOON explained.

 

“This story os ironic. This irony helps viewers understand the message. In fact, I think that genres or characters are tools to deliver messages. In the future, I want to make a feature film version of Safe by developing its message. I made a big tragedy. So now I want to draw a hopeful message,” MOON added.

 

“Korean filmmakers have great potential,” said RYU Jin-ryong, the minister of culture, sports and tourism who took part in the events. “I expected that they would become better. Then we received the good news that MOON won the prize. “I think that Korean films will be able to develop along with the growth of genre films be they shorts, art movies or documentaries,” RYU added. “We will do our best to support them.”