Where Would `Palme d’ or ` Go… Interim Summary of Competition

▽Quest for Victory = Film related media like `Moving Pictures`, `Zurbain`, and `Screen` are evaluating feature movies everyday and predicting winners. Although each analyst have a different opinion, there is general consensus for 4 films, such as Mike Leigh’s (U.K.) `All or Nothing`, Michael Moore’s (U.S.A.) documentary `Bowling for Columbine`, Elia Suleiman’s (Palestine) black-comedy `Intervention Divine`, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s (U.S.A.) romantic-comedy `Punch-Drunk Love`.

Cannes’s feature films have traditionally had mixed analysis from one-star to four-star, but these four films received relatively balanced high marks.

If `All or Nothing` receives Palme d’Or, it will be the second time for director Mike Leigh to win the competition since `Secrets & Lies` (1996).

`Bowling for Columbine` is a documentary that made it to the finals of Cannes in 46 years. It dealt with the U.S. Columbine High’s shooting incident in 1999.

Among the movies to be presented in the second half, Roman Polanski’s `The Pianist`, the festival’s most controversial director Gaspar Noe’s `Irreversible`, Zhangke Jia’s `Unknown Pleasure`, and Im Kwon-Taek’s `Chihwaseon` are to be noticed.

▽Israel vs. Palestine = Another issue of the film festival is that long-grudged Israel and Palestine have placed their films in the competition.

Most of local press media are introducing `Kedma` of Israel’s Amos Gitaï and `Intervention Divine` of Palestine’s Suleiman together.

The two movies are already evaluated, as they were presented earlier during the festival. In comparison with favorable criticism for `Intervention Divine`, `Kedma` is said to be inferior.

Although Palestine is weak in the reality of the Middle East, it is winning a big competition in a little French coastal city.

However, there is much skepticism against the Palestinian movie’s victory in the competition, because it will cause heavy political pressure on Cannes.

▽Possibility For `Chihwaseon` To Win = As `Chihwaseon` is scheduled for presentation on the 24th and 25th just before the closing day (26th), the press has almost no mention of it.

However, excluding the Middle East, the fact that there are only two Asian films this year, including Chinese director Zhangke Jia’s `Unknown Pleasure` and Im Kwon- Taek’s `Chihwaseon`, gives the Korean movie an advantage. Besides, the movie’s theme of self-artistry promoted through Jang Seung-Up’s life is what Cannes prefers.

Also, a member of the jury, Indonesian actress Christine Hakim, has a close tie with Korea, as she once was in the jury at Pusan International Film Festival. This may act as a positive factor for `Chihwaseon`.

Sue-Jean Kang sjkang@donga.com