Korean actor Song Joong-ki, who starred in the dramas “Reborn Rich” and “Vincenzo,” attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time for the premiere of his film “Hopeless (Hwaran).”  “Hopeless” was invited as an official selection under the Un Certain Regard at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, which will run until May 27.  (Top photo, from left) Song Joong-ki, director Kim Chang-hoon, Kim Hyung-seo and Hong Sa-bin at the premiere of "Hopeless" at the Debussy Theatre in Cannes on May 24 (Photos from Plus M Entertainment)
The stars and director of "Hopeless" at the photo-call event at the Palais des festivals in Cannes (Photos from Plus M Entertainment)

Song Joong-ki at the premiere of "Hopeless" in Cannes in May 24 (Photo from Plus M Entertainment)
Poster for "Hopeless" (Photo from Plus M Entertainment)

Its stars, Hong Sa-bin, Song Joong-ki and Kim Hyung-seo, and director Kim Chang-hoon attended the red carpet event and premiere of the movie at the Debussy Theatre.  “Hopeless” tells the story of Yeon-gyu (Hong Sa-bin), “a teenage boy who wants to escape his hometown where violence is commonly enacted among neighbors. He only hopes to have a peaceful life with his mother. When Yeon-gyu needs a hand from grown-ups, Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), a thug of the town, offers a favor. The simple favor leads Yeon-gyu to explore the world of Chi-geon. It ironically results Yeon-gyu gradually falling into Chi-geon’s life,” according to the Cannes Film Festival website.  The following day, Song Joong-ki and his co-stars attended a photo-call at the  Palais des festivals in Cannes.  Before the screening, Song Joong-ki, his co-stars and the director went on stage to greet the audience. He was originally scheduled to attend the event together with his wife Katie Louise Saunders, who is in her ninth month of pregnancy.  However, due to the film’s violent scenes, his wife did not attend the premiere, Korean media reported.  "After watching the movie, I am satisfied that it seems to have come out deeper than the emotions I felt in the script,” said Song Joong-ki after the screening.  Director Kim Chang-hoon told Cannes, “Hong Sa-bin, Song Joong-ki, Kim Hyoung-seo, and the rest of the cast took the characters that already existed in the screenplay and made them even more vivid, more outstanding. They always provided me with good ideas regarding aspects that I had sometimes not considered. I consider myself extremely lucky, and I’m very grateful for their involvement.”