This was a minor disruption compared to the previous year, when the festival was nearly cancelled due to a political conflict between the city and the festival organisers, relating to the screening of an anti-government documentary in 2014.1 Much has changed in the past year, most notably the impeachment of right - wing President Park Geun - hye, whose government the documentary had targeted, and the election of the left - liberal party headed
by Moon Jae - in.2 While the contentious political atmosphere has not entirely dissipated, as evidenced
by the student protest groups still demanding an apology from the
local city government, this year's festival was an attempt to return to normalcy, despite the untimely death of one of the festival's driving forces, deputy director Kim Ji - seok, a much
beloved figure within the
community.3 Although the festival had a strong selection of international entries, including some of the best this year has to offer, such as Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or winner The Square and Sean Baker's The Florida Project, I have decided to focus my report on the Korean films.
A few years prior, the
community was rocked
by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont's
local councilmen and the
beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded
by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing.