Amid Controversy, Netflix’s Film ‘Okja’ Premieres at the Cannes Film Festival

The Netflix film “Okja” had its glamorous world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this evening at the Grand Lumiere Theatre of the Palais.

“Okja” is the first Netflix film to screen at the prestigious film festival, where it has generated some controversy. For one thing, Netflix skips conventional theatrical releases which had French theater owners up in arms. Then Pedro Almodovar, who heads the Cannes Film Festival jury, complained that movies should be seen on screens bigger than the chair you sit on. As though all this were not enough, there were technical glitches at the first press screening for the film and the audience booed.

Whether the controversy has quieted or not, the stars and director looked elegant and relaxed as they swanned on the red carpet at tonight’s premiere where the screening took place without a hitch.
The Netflix original film Okja launches globally on Netflix and will be playing in select theaters in New York & Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 28.
From the press release the film: “For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja-a massive animal and an even bigger friend-at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.

With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.

 

CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 19: (L-R) Actor Ahn Seo-Hyun, director Bong Joon-Ho and actor Tilda Swinton attend the “Okja” screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage for Netflix)

Deftly blending genres, humor, poignancy and drama, Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) begins with the gentlest of premises-the bond between man and animal-and ultimately creates a distinct and layered vision of the world that addresses the animal inside us all.”
Okja is a Plan B Entertainment, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company production in association with Netflix.
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