A reporter at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival drew criticism for her “racist” remark towards some of the actors and the director of the South Korean film, Hope.
This occurred during a press conference for the film on 18 May in Cannes, France, attended by Director Na Hong Jin and cast members Hwang Jung Min, Jo In Sung, Jung Ho Yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell.
In the video of the press conference, the female reporter, who was not seen on camera, asked a question to Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, who were on the stage alongside the director and their co-actors.
However, the way she began her question raised eyebrows for seemingly dismissing the Korean director and actors, as well as Canadian Taylor Russell.
“Hi, Michael. Hi, Alicia,” the reporter said. Then, pertaining to the others, she added, “I don’t know the rest of you.”
Source: Festival de Cannes on YouTube
Attendees reported that actresses Jung Ho Yeon and Taylor Russell exchanged uneasy smiles, while Jo In Sung and Hwang Jung Min appeared uncomfortable following the comment, according to KbizoOm.
Source: Festival de Cannes on YouTube
Netizens accused the reporter of being “racist” towards the Korean director and the Korean and Canadian actors.
They said she lacked the qualities of a reporter, with one commenter stressing that it was her job to know the people she would be interviewing.
Translation: I see that even in that country, there are journalists who lack the qualities of a reporter.
Source: YouTube
One user said she could have just said “Hi, everyone” as a polite greeting if she wasn’t familiar with the actors, while another pointed out that their names were on the cards in front of them.
Source: X
Others suggested the remark may have been intentional to stir controversy, noting that the reporter did not disclose her media outlet or name.
Translation: That’s just trolling. Even in the West, that’s a completely thoughtless thing to do, and most Westerners don’t understand it. The fact that they didn’t reveal their name or the media outlet in the first place shows they just came out to stir up controversy.
Source: YouTube
Some netizens also observed that the incident received coverage mainly in Asian media, with little reporting in Western outlets.
The South Korean sci-fi action thriller Hope was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or.
According to Maeil Business, it is the first Korean film to qualify for the highest prize at the prestigious film festival in four years.
The story centres on the struggles of a community facing the sudden appearance of alien life forms.
Notably, the Western actors play the roles of the aliens, KbizoOm reported.
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Featured image adapted from Festival de Cannes on YouTube.