Filmmaker July Jung Awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters, Chevalier

Director July Jung (Jung Ju-ri), director of Dora (2026), has been awarded the rank of Chevalier in the French Order of Arts and Letters.

The award was presented by the French Embassy in South Korea at the 2026 French Night, held at Paradise Hotel Busan on October 14 during the Busan International Film Festival. The event celebrated 140 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France.

The Order of Arts and Letters is conferred by the French Ministry of Culture to honor individuals who have distinguished themselves in arts and culture or contributed to promoting them in France and around the world. The Chevalier is one of the order’s three ranks, alongside Officier and Commandeur.

Michel Miraillet, Chargé d'Affaires of the French Embassy in Seoul, presented the award to Jung. He noted that her work is distinguished by its delicate portrayal of quiet yet deeply grounded characters.

All three of Jung’s features have been screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut feature, A Girl at My Door (2014), was selected for Un Certain Regard, while Next Sohee (2022) served as the closing film for Critics' Week. In 2026, Dora was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight.

Dora is a South Korea-France-Luxembourg co-production developed from the initial production stage. The film follows Dora, who suffers from a severe psychogenic skin condition and experiences love for the first time after meeting Nami at a summer house in Namhae. Japanese actress Ando Sakura and French cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky joined the production. Dora was featured in the Gala Presentation at the 31st Busan International Film Festival and is scheduled for public release in 2027.

Jung said that she initially wondered whether she deserved the honor, but recalled the audiences she had met in Paris, Cannes, and Strasbourg. She credited their support with giving her the courage to take on a co-production film for the first time and expressed her commitment to becoming an even better filmmaker.