Best Screenplay at Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival was one of the world's top three, alongside Venice and Berlin. A stage every filmmaker dreamed of at least once. Even ordinary directors aimed just to get invited—it carried that much prestige. No wonder everyone was buzzing with excitement. Just the nomination of Parasite Creature was headline news enough.
I couldn't deny my own pounding heart. For someone who'd spent their whole life in manual labor, this was unreal! I'd never even been to the Busan Film Festival, let alone Cannes. I'd never set foot in the arts world at all. All I'd ever done was haul heavy tools and grind away at day jobs.
Holding Mom's hand, I stepped into the awards ceremony building. The moment we passed through the doors, the atmosphere shifted completely. It felt like entering another world. Towering ceilings. Crimson carpet. Foreign languages echoing from every direction. The scale was immense, befitting a true international festival. The premiere for Song of the Sword I'd done before? That was like a toddler's birthday party by comparison. Child's play, really. The difficulty had skyrocketed several levels.
Mom saw me tense and said, "Don't be nervous, Sora...!"
She hesitated a moment, then added, "Believe in Mom, Sora...! Hold Mom's hand tight!"
"Eek!"
But Mom's voice trembled as she spoke to me. She seemed even more nervous than I was. Her palm was slick with sweat. Seeing her like that snapped my tension right out of me. Watching Mom shake, it was... well, oddly reassuring, I guess.
I told her, "Mom, calm down. It's not like we get penalized if we don't win or anything."
It was obvious. Even if Parasite Creature walked away empty-handed from Cannes, it wouldn't be a disaster. Quite the opposite—just the invitation was a massive win. Win big or break even. The kind of odds that would make a gambler flip out.
The staff knew it too, grinning ear to ear with zero worries. The grandpas were the same, relaxed as if they were just out for a neighborhood stroll.
Seeing them all like that settled my nerves even more. And so, the Parasite Creature crew—staff and actors—filed into the ceremony hall. Ornate tables and blinding chandeliers greeted us, sparkling like jewels so fiercely it hurt to look. Brighter than any film set lights I'd known. Cameras swarmed us everywhere. International events like this demanded full documentation. Journalists were there, plus civilians who'd clawed through the cutthroat lottery for premiere seats.
"Hoo...!"
I sat and took a deep breath. The ceremony kicked off soon after. I wondered if Parasite Creature would snag the Palme d'Or like in my original world. But this was a different era. I'd tweaked scenes in the screenplay to fit—like the opening bit where they freak out in the bathroom chasing Wi-Fi... And all those smartphone scenes. Had to adjust. Cell phones were still status symbols back then. But since phones existed, no total rewrite needed. Smartphones were emerging too, from that famous apple company. Folks in Korea were starting to use them. In a few years, nearly everyone would. Smartphones were peak human invention, defining generations. Post-cell phone era, humanity became inseparable from them. An hour without? Hands shake. A full day? Throat prickles like thorns. Calls, SNS, endless dopamine hits. Pre-phone life? Unimaginable now.
I figured I'd grab a smartphone back in Korea. Money wasn't an issue anymore, and even first- or second-gen models had basics covered. Specs wouldn't thrill me, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Couldn't stay phoneless forever—calls would pile up. Home phones were a hassle. Current apple phones worked fine anyway; apps matched the hardware. No running future games or apps—they'd lag or flat-out refuse due to specs. But era-appropriate apps? Smooth sailing. Sure, coming from future phones, I'd gripe about speed, but whatever.
[congratula...]
But against my hopes, the Palme d'Or went to another film.
Clap clap clap— Thunderous applause erupted. Cannes tradition: prolonged claps for winners. I joined in. Just being here satisfied me fully. Cannes with Mom? Memories made. Success. I'd done Japan and China trips, but Europe? Never. Felt like I'd conquered the world already.
Then came the surprise. Screenplay Award. The host, in crisp foreign tongue, uttered "Parasite Creature." Crystal clear—I couldn't miss it. My mind blanked. Our film's title. The story I wrote. The movie I shaped. Here, it was mine... but if they knew the truth?
A gasp beside me. "Wha...?" Mom. Eyes saucer-wide, staring at the stage. Like she couldn't process reality. She didn't speak English, but the mic boomed Parasite Creature loud enough. Right next, Grandpa Seongmin frozen, mouth half-open. The grandpas hadn't dreamed of this. Probably only I had among the crew.
Moment of silence. Then—
"Waaaaah!!!"
The hall exploded in cheers. Clap clap clap clap— Applause rattled the rafters. I clapped too. I'd planned to just spectate anyway. An elementary schooler like me climbing the stage? Absurd.
Grandpa Seongmin looked down. "Sora."
"Yes?"
"...Let's go up together."
I froze. "Me?"
"Obviously."
He grinned. "Who made this film?"
I glanced around. Hundreds—no, thousands—watching us. Dozens of cameras trained our way. Unlike before, tension flooded back.
Grandpa Seongmin, Director Manjae—all eyes on me. No choice but to climb the stage. Small mercy: Grandpa would handle the speech as rep.
Others gawked at the kid on stage. Least fitting attendee? Me, hands down. No matter the talent, why credit a schoolgirl?
We walked slowly toward the stage. Red carpet underfoot. Hundreds of gazes tracked us. Applause swelled louder.
I thought, 'My laborer life... on the Cannes stage.'
Life's unpredictable. As a man, I'd never imagined this.