Chapter 146
The next morning, while I was still half asleep, I heard Cha Seungjoon and Baek Seonghan talking.
“Wow, is this seriously real?”
“Seriously. I guess this is what people mean when they say they can’t believe something even after seeing it.”
I must have drunk too much at last night’s after-party.
Holding my aching stomach, I groggily sat up.
Cha Seungjoon immediately turned toward me.
“Hey, if you’re awake, come look at this.”
I could already guess what it was.
Articles about last night’s gala screening had probably started flooding the internet.
“A lot of articles came out?”
I scratched my messy hair and walked over to Cha Seungjoon and Baek Seonghan, who were staring at a laptop.
Dozens of headlines filled the screen.
[Jean Dumont at Cannes: “If Kingdom of Crime Doesn’t Win the Palme d’Or, It Will Be a Trick of God!”]
[Kingdom of Crime Rewrites Korean Film History. Gala Screening a Massive Success Amid Legendary Director’s Praise!]
[Kingdom of Crime Shakes Cannes... Ten-Minute Standing Ovation]
[Director Song Jaehyun Becomes a Name the World Is Watching]
“The response is even bigger than I expected.”
I muttered quietly.
Cha Seungjoon immediately continued.
“This isn’t even all of it.”
“France’s Le Monde, Britain’s The Guardian, even The New York Times in America all covered it.”
“Film sites around the world are going crazy right now.”
Baek Seonghan, who had been checking his phone beside him, nodded.
“Social media is exploding too.”
“Director Jean Dumont’s comment is being quoted everywhere.”
“Film fans all over the world are suddenly paying attention to Kingdom of Crime.”
Cha Seungjoon pointed at the screen.
“Hey, look at this.”
“People are already asking when the movie’s coming out.”
I took the laptop and began reading the articles one by one.
[Variety: Jean Dumont’s comment was no ordinary polite compliment. In more than forty years in the film industry, the famously harsh critic has offered praise this strong only a handful of times. This is the first since Roman Paul’s 2002 film The Man Who Plays the Piano.]
[The Hollywood Reporter: One of the most dramatic moments in Cannes history. A single remark from Jean Dumont has propelled Kingdom of Crime into the center of the Palme d’Or conversation.]
“At this rate, we might actually win the Palme d’Or.”
Even Baek Seonghan, who rarely showed strong emotion, sounded excited.
I kept staring at the laptop screen.
“I don’t know yet.”
I paused.
“But one thing is certain.”
Then I continued.
“Our film has truly become one of the contenders now.”
Ahead of the public screening of Kingdom of Crime at three that afternoon, we gathered in the hotel lobby to handle our scheduled events.
When I entered the lobby, Director Song Jaehyun and the others were already there.
“CEO Min, over here!”
Woo Jungin, sitting on a sofa to one side of the lobby, raised her hand when she spotted Cha Seungjoon and me.
“Did everyone see the articles?”
Her voice was full of excitement.
Cha Seungjoon answered just as enthusiastically.
“Noona, you saw them too?”
“Doesn’t it feel completely unreal?”
“You feel that way too?”
Woo Jungin laughed.
“Same here.”
“The media all over the world is covering our movie.”
“Exactly.”
Cha Seungjoon nodded.
“I think Director Jean Dumont’s comment yesterday had the biggest impact.”
“At this rate, maybe we really will win the Palme d’Or.”
“Wow.”
Woo Jungin grinned.
“Just hearing you say that makes me excited.”
While the two of them talked, Han Taesung quietly approached me.
“Now that I think about it...”
He lowered his voice.
“The reason you invited Director Jean Dumont wasn’t simply for publicity, was it?”
I smiled slightly.
“As expected, I thought you’d figure out what I was really aiming for.”
But Han Taesung’s expression was unexpectedly serious.
“So I was right.”
Then he asked,
“But did you ever consider what would happen if Jean Dumont watched Kingdom of Crime and criticized it instead?”
I understood exactly why he was asking.
If Jean Dumont had harshly criticized the film, everything could have gone in the exact opposite direction.
“No.”
I smiled.
“If I thought that could happen, I never would have invited him in the first place.”
Han Taesung stared at me for a moment.
“I envy that confidence of yours.”
Then he gave a faint laugh.
“And at the same time, it’s a little frightening.”
“Maybe Manager Cha was right.”
He narrowed his eyes jokingly.
“Did you secretly undergo some kind of shamanic initiation?”
Ha...
I can’t believe I’m hearing that even here in Cannes.
Cha Seungjoon, seriously...
“CEO Han, come on.”
I laughed awkwardly.
“Don’t say things like that. Ahem.”
Han Taesung smiled.
“Anyway, thanks to you, I’m getting to experience something I never imagined I would in my lifetime.”
Just then, Song Jaehyun’s voice came from one corner of the lobby.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, it still feels like a dream to me too.”
He was clearly overwhelmed with congratulatory calls coming from Korea.
At the same time, Kim Eunkyung, who had also been speaking on the phone nearby, finished her call and approached Han Taesung and me.
“Korea is going crazy too.”
I looked at her.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“The top ten real-time search terms on the portal sites are all related to our film.”
She began listing them.
“Kingdom of Crime, Director Song Jaehyun, Jean Dumont, Cannes Film Festival, Palme d’Or...”
“All ours.”
Baek Seonghan laughed.
“The whole world is buzzing.”
“Why would Korea be any different?”
“If anything, it’s probably even crazier there.”
Kim Eunkyung sighed.
“So I think I need to leave for Korea tomorrow.”
“Suddenly?”
