Lee Hye-young reads Han Kang's 'I Do Not Bid Farewell' on an Avignon stage

The Resonance of Korean Echoing Through the Palais des Papes Honor Theater in Avignon, France

Actress Lee Hye-young stood on the stage of the Palais des Papes Honor Theater, an iconic venue of the Avignon Festival in France. In the reading performance ‘Bird’ held on the 15th (local time), Lee Hye-young led a stage based on author Han Kang's novel ‘I Do Not Bid Farewell’. This performance was a special program organized as Korean was selected as the official invited language of the Avignon Festival to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France.

Lee Hye-young held the center of the stage by playing the character 'In-seon' from the novel. This performance, which featured a collaboration with the representative French actress Isabelle Huppert, took a unique approach to breaking language barriers. Lee Hye-young continued the character's monologues and lines in Korean, while Isabelle Huppert did so in French. Despite using different languages, the two actresses immersed the audience by connecting the characters' inner worlds through restrained breathing and delicate emotional expression.

The weight of the performance reached its peak when author Han Kang herself appeared on stage. Han Kang directly read the latter part of the novel, conveying the tragic narrative of Korean modern history—the Jeju April 3 incident and the civilian massacres before and after the Korean War—to the local audience. In this moment, as the message of the novel was unfolded directly through her voice, a tense tension and deep resonance filled the stage.

Acclaim from Local Audiences and Lee Hye-young's Unrivaled Acting Career

Local French audiences who watched the performance focused on the message of the work, which dealt with the painful history of modern Korea. The audience responded with warm applause to the high-density acting shown by the actresses. Although the languages were different, Lee Hye-young's reading, which depicted the sadness and pain of the characters, was evaluated as having moved the hearts of the audience across borders.

This stage was once again a place that confirmed the presence of Lee Hye-young, who is currently reaching the pinnacle of her career by proving her acting skills. Last year, through the film 'The Old Woman with the Knife', Lee Hye-young solidified her position as a powerhouse actress by sweeping Best Actress awards at the 12th Korean Film Producer Association Awards and the 2025 Seoul International Film Festival. Furthermore, she continues her active presence across both the screen and the stage, such as winning the Artist Ace Award in the Stage Video Convergence Content category at the 4th AoA International Awards for the play 'Hedda Gabler'.

This performance of 'Bird', in which a French director staged Han Kang's literary text, added significance as an official program of the Avignon Festival, combining literature and performing arts. Through this stage, Lee Hye-young fully revealed her artistic capabilities on the global stage as a representative actress of Korea.

Collaboration Between Actress Isabelle Huppert and Author Han Kang

Lee Hye-young led the play by playing the character 'In-seon' from the novel. Representative French actress Isabelle Huppert appeared alongside her to collaborate with Lee Hye-young.

At the end of the performance, the original author Han Kang took the stage. Han Kang completed the message of the performance by directly reading the latter part of the novel.

Acting Skills Proven by Awards

Last year, Lee Hye-young won the Best Actress awards at the 12th Korean Film Producer Association Awards and the 2025 Seoul International Film Festival for the film 'The Old Woman with the Knife'.

She also achieved success with the play 'Hedda Gabler', receiving the Artist Ace Award in the Stage Video Convergence Content category at the 4th AoA International Awards.