Cannes gives standing ovation to new K-zombie film ‘Colony’

CANNES — Yeon Sang-ho returned to the Cannes Film Festival with another zombie thriller, and audiences appeared fully hooked by a new twist on the globally popular “K-zombie” genre. At around 3 a.m. Saturday, more than 2,300 viewers inside Cannes’ Grand Lumiere Theater erupted into applause after the world premiere screening of “Colony,” Yeon’s latest film. The audience gave a standing ovation lasting about five minutes as Yeon and cast members Koo Kyo-hwan, Jun Ji-hyun, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been and Kim Shin-rok greeted the crowd. “It is an honor to present ‘Colony’ at the Cannes Film Festival I had always dreamed of,” Yeon said after the screening. “The passionate support from the audience will remain a memory I cherish for a very long time.” The film was invited to the Midnight Screenings section of Cannes, a category known for unconventional genre works. Before the screening, director Park Chan-wook, who is serving as jury president for this year’s competition section, welcomed guests alongside Cannes delegate general Thierry Fremaux at the red carpet