The Korea Herald

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‘Bargain’ invited to Canneseries competition

By Lee Si-jin

Published : March 29, 2023 - 15:19

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Poster image for Cannes International Series Festival and Poster image for Cannes International Series Festival and "Bargain" (Tving)

Korean streamer Tving’s crime-thriller “Bargain,” directed by Jeon Woo-sung, has been invited to this year’s Cannes International Series Festival, widely known as Canneseries

Canneseries is an international television festival that promotes TV series from around the world.

In the official selection for this year’s Canneseries announced Tuesday, “Bargain” was listed in the competition section along with nine other projects, including Israel’s 2022 series “Carthago” and South Africa's “Spinners.”

The Tving series is vying for best series, best music, best screenplay and a special award for best cast performance categories.

Adapted from a short film of the same title by filmmaker Lee Chung-hyun, “Bargain” revolves around people who gather at a remote motel with ulterior motives of seeking to bargain for sex.

The series caught viewers’ attention for its iconic single-take style of shooting.

“Bargain” contributed the most to the increase in paid subscribers and unique visitors to the service for two consecutive weeks after its premiere in October 2022.

Though the exact date of its release is yet to be announced, “Bargain” will be available to drama fans outside of Korea this summer via Paramount+.

Jun Jong-seo, who plays the lead role of Joo Young in "Bargain," became the first Korean actor to be invited to both Cannes' film and series festival. She debuted at the Cannes Film Festival with director Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" in 2018.

Jin Seon-kyu plays a middle-aged man who haggles for sex in Jin Seon-kyu plays a middle-aged man who haggles for sex in "Bargain." (Tving)

Meanwhile, Tving’s latest sci-fi action thriller “Island” was named in the rendez-vous section, a free screening program open to all drama lovers that offers conversations with speakers and content creators, including directors and actors.

The Canneseries will open at the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumiere and the Espace Miramar in Cannes, France, on April 14.

The awards and closing ceremonies are scheduled to be shown live on April 19.