Superstar From Age 0

“I've seen the edited version briefly, and I think it might do quite well. We’ve submitted a few times before, so we have some idea of the Cannes Film Festival's taste. It depends on the jury's preferences, but… we have high hopes.”

The planning team leader's words made Seo-jun's face shine.

The Cannes Film Festival in France.

It was one of the three major film festivals in the world, along with the Berlin International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival.

It was a film festival that every actor wanted to attend at least once.

If the Academy Awards in the US were a short party for awarding films that had already been released, then the Cannes Film Festival was a long festival that screened and awarded outstanding films among the submitted ones.

It was also a place where not only directors and actors, but also film industry people such as film distributors who wanted to import good films from other countries gathered, so it was large in scale.

It was a relatively Hollywood-friendly film festival, so Hollywood actors attended and Hollywood films were screened.

‘I haven't been there yet.’

But he wanted to go with his work if he did.

Seo-jun smiled and said.

“I hope it works out!”

“Me too.”

Seo-jun and the planning team leader smiled brightly at each other.

But Director Min Hee-kyung had been quiet since a while ago.

Wasn't she the one who should be most excited as the director?

Seo-jun looked at director Min Hee-kyung with curious eyes and was startled. Director Min Hee-kyung's face was pale.

“Director! Breathe! Breathe!”

“Ugh! Director Min!”

At Seo-jun's words, director Min Hee-kyung realized that she hadn't been breathing. She quickly breathed in and out.

As oxygen entered, her head started to work.

‘I thought it was a Korean film festival!’

She made a new work after six years, and it was the Cannes Film Festival!

It was as shocking as finding out that the unknown actor she worked with was Lee Seo-jun.

It was only her second work after her first one failed. Director Min Hee-kyung shook her hands with a gloomy face.

“I have to edit again!”

“There's only until April 1st for submission, so you won't be able to change much…”

There were only three days left.

“…Why are you telling me this now?”

The planning team leader scratched his cheek at director Min Hee-kyung's words.

“That's because I thought you would be too nervous. That's how most directors who submit to a prestigious film festival for the first time are. Even if you have a lot of time, you'll only see things to fix.”

He wasn't wrong.

She thought it was a finished work until a while ago, but after hearing about the Cannes Film Festival, dozens of things to fix came to mind.

But then again, were they really things that needed to be fixed?

‘…Do I have to redo everything?’

But then again, seo-jun and the actors’ acting were too precious. She felt that what was lacking was her script and directing skills.

She couldn't make up her mind and looked lost. The planning team leader coughed and continued.

“Don't be too nervous. Submission is something that other films do too. Last year, there were about 12 submissions from Korea alone. How many would there be worldwide?”

That was true.

“And it's not even confirmed that you’re invited yet. Just think of it as a publicity stunt. It’ll help promote your film even if you just say you submitted it.”

Director Min Hee-kyung's face returned to normal at the planning team leader's words. She blushed a little with embarrassment.

“That's true. I guess I got ahead of myself.”

She deluded herself as if she was already nominated.

‘Well, it's only my second work…’

Director Min Hee-kyung sighed with relief with her true face.

“Can I still fix it a little?”

“The deadline is April 1st…”

“Just a little.”

“Hmm. Well, then just meet the deadline.”

Director Min Hee-kyung's face brightened up. She was about to leave right away, but the planning team leader stopped her.

“You have to watch the internal screening first. You’ll get some feedback from the people's reactions and it’ll help you with editing.”

“Oh, right.”

“And you have to decide on the title too. Otherwise, it’ll be submitted as it is.”

If it was submitted as Traveling, which was a tentative title, she wouldn't be able to change it anymore. Director Min Hee-kyung thought hard at the planning team leader's words.

Seo-jun watched director Min Hee-kyung in distress for a moment and whispered to the planning team leader.

“Team leader. Didn't you say earlier that it might do quite well?”

“I didn't know… Director Min seems to be the type who feels a lot of pressure. It seems like she didn't hear anything we said. I think it's better to let her think of it as just one of the publicity until the results are clear.”

Seo-jun nodded at his words.

***

A little later.

Actors and staff, such as Kim Han-seok and Kim Haun, employees of the film production company Dahong, employees of the investment company Plus+, and other related people entered the internal screening room one by one.

Kim Han-seok and Kim Haun, who sat next to Seo-jun, asked in surprise.

“Cannes?”

“Cannes? The Cannes in France?”

“Yeah. One of the three major film festivals in the world that takes place in France.”

They gasped at Seo-jun's confirmation.

“Isn't that… a big deal?”

“Hmm. Anyone can submit if they meet the qualifications, so it's not that hard. The hard part is getting invited by the jury.”

Seo-jun's words made Kim Haun say with his true face.

“But you still think there's a good chance, right? That's why you submitted it.”

“Right. Dahong has had some invited works among the ones they submitted, so they said they have some idea of the Cannes Film Festival's taste. They said it might do quite well.”

“Wow! Really? Am I going to be super famous?”

Kim Han-seok, who had the second most screen time after Seo-jun, sparkled his eyes. Kim Haun also looked hopeful.

“How well is quite well?”

“At least not in the non-competitive section, I guess…”

“I hope it gets into the notable ones. They give awards for that, right?”

“Yeah.”

They smiled at the word award. Seo-jun also tried to calm his excited heart.

“Let's watch the movie first. We haven't seen the edited version yet.”

Even if the script was good and the acting was good, what people saw was the edited movie. It was the director's territory that actors couldn't touch.

They nodded at Seo-jun's words.

Soon, an announcement came out.

[We will now start the internal screening of Traveling, a tentative title.]

***

Two hours later.

The screen turned black and brightened up again. The screening room was filled with applause. There were also sounds of sobbing here and there.

Director Min Hee-kyung, who was sitting at the back with the planning team leader, watched the reactions of the people without blinking.

The people who had worked on the filming, read the script, and invested money were more critical and harsh than the first-time viewers.

Director Min Hee-kyung opened her mouth nervously.

“…The response is …good?”

“Why do you sound so surprised? It's your work, after all.”

The planning team leader said with a smile, and Director Min Hee-kyung scratched her cheek.

“I got used to it after editing it over and over…”

One of the reasons was also her diminished confidence because of the Cannes Film Festival submission.

The planning team leader nodded as if he understood. It was natural to lose interest and excitement if you repeated the same thing over and over.

“Maybe you should take a break sometimes.”

“But I have to edit…”

“Don't you think it would be better to look at it after resting a bit? The preview atmosphere is good, and the lead actor seems to like the current editing.”

At the words of the planning team leader, Director Min Hee-kyung's eyes turned to Seo-jun.

He was sitting next to some kids and chatting happily.

A place suddenly came to her mind.

She came out to the place where she first met Seo-jun, for a change of mood after the internal preview was over.

The Han River.

She was about to give up on being a director, but she got courage from an unknown actor who loved acting.

It had been only six months, but the situation was completely different from then.

Director Min Hee-kyung sat on that bench and looked at the Han River. The water sparkled in the sunlight and flowed. There must have been a sea at the end.

Everyone was going their own way with the wide river next to them.

People walking with their families, people walking with their dogs, couples who came for a date, people who were exercising.

They all walked to the right or left of Director Min Hee-kyung according to their destinations.

“Right?”

“No. Left!”

“Left!”

Some kids near Director Min Hee-kyung laughed and joined the line and ran to the left.

Their movements looked like a river.

Small rivers flowed into a big river and the big river flowed into the sea.

Director Min Hee-kyung, who was staring blankly at the scene, lit up her eyes. She quickly picked up her phone.

[Team leader. I decided on a title.

[Flowing Away.

[Title. Flowing Away.

***

[From ‘Travel’ to ‘Flowing Away’! Actor Seo-jun's next work!]

[Actor Seo-jun's next work, ‘Flowing Away’, selected for Cannes Film Festival!]

[After Oscar, cannes? Let's take a look at actor Seo-jun's award history!]

[This year's Korean films selected for Cannes Film Festival, 10 works!]

[Lee Ji-seok×Kim Jong-ho ‘One Shot’! Selected for Cannes Film Festival!]

-They changed the title lol

=I guess there's another movie with the title ‘Travel’.

=22 If you don't know well, you might think it's Seo-jun's work.

=Memo) Flowing Away (10,000 stars)

-Cannes? They’re going to Cannes?!

=No no. It's just a submission. Anyone can submit if they meet the qualifications, but then the judges pick them and put them on the shortlist.

=They’ll announce the shortlist in May.

=Oh. I see.

-…Can I expect something?

=22 It's Seo-jun!

=33 He won an award at Oscar too, and Cannes is also a trend where Korean films win awards.

=But I don't know the director's name.

-Wow. Lee Ji-seok and Kim Jong-ho's movie too?

=What if they meet at Cannes?

=I know right. I'm looking forward to it lol

***

April passed in an instant and it was May.

Cocoa Entertainment parking lot.

Seo-jun got in the car to go home and Ahn Da Ho also got in the driver's seat.

“By the way, did you decide on your graduation performance?”

“No. I wonder if I have to go until next semester.”

Ahn Da Ho laughed at that.

He wondered if he would bring another book from somewhere again.

“What about college practicals?”

“I'm still thinking about that.”

“Take your time. You have plenty of time.”

“Yes.”

Seo-jun leaned back in his seat with his seat belt on when his phone rang. When Seo-jun took out his phone, Ahn Da Ho asked.

“Who is it?”

“It's Ji-seok hyung. Hello?”

He answered the phone with a happy face, and Ahn Da Ho started the car with a smile.

-I was wondering if you guys got the results.

“We haven't yet. Don't they tell us together?”

This year, they said they would notify the production companies or distributors in advance before announcing the shortlist. It was only a few minutes difference, though.

-Hmm. Is that so? Oh, seo-jun. I'm going to give a special lecture next week. What do you think the kids would like me to teach them?

Seo-jun tilted his head.

“Next week is Director Choi Dae-man's turn… Aren't you going to second or first year?”

-Huh? Wait a minute. I wrote it down somewhere. Seong-oh!

As Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok were talking, Ahn Da Ho's phone rang. It was the planning team leader of the film production company Dahong. Ahn Da Ho hesitated for a moment and parked the car nearby. It didn't seem like something he could listen to while driving.

“Yes. Team leader.”

As expected, the phone was noisy. He could hear the planning team leader shouting something.

“Seo-jun.”

“Yes?”

“They contacted us about the shortlist. But it's so noisy over there, I can't hear what they're saying.”

Ahn Da Ho listened to the phone with his ear close to it, but he could only hear screams like screams from Dahong.

‘It sounds more like…’

They were voices close to astonishment.

“Really?”

-What? Seong-oh. Did they decide on the shortlist?

Lee Ji-seok's voice was heard. It was because the car was closed that various voices were mixed. Ahn Da Ho opened his mouth as he listened to his phone.

“Flowing Away, selected for the competition section.”

“Wow!”

He exclaimed without realizing it.

He expected ‘A Certain Gaze’ at best, which could win an award, but it was the competition section that could win the ‘Palme d’Or’!

“Really? The competition section?”

-Competition? We are?

‘Huh?’

Seo-jun, who was happy to be selected for the competition section, tilted his head at the voice of Lee Ji-seok from across the phone.

“Ji-seok hyung. One Shot is also on the shortlist?”

-Yeah. Flowing Away too?

“Yes. The competition section… Yes?”

-We’re in the competition section… Yeah?

“…Yes?”

-…Yeah?

There was a moment of silence.

Seo-jun, who realized the situation, opened his eyes wide. Lee Ji-seok couldn't close his mouth on the other side of the phone.

Ahn Da Ho showed him his phone screen with a surprised face. It seemed that they had already announced it, and there was an article up.

[Actor Seo-jun's next work, ‘Flowing Away’, selected for Cannes Film Festival competition section!]

[Lee Ji-seok×Kim Jong-ho ‘One Shot’ selected for Cannes Film Festival competition section!]

Korea was in an uproar in an instant.