It’s rare for a rookie director like Kim Chang-hoon, whose debut action noir “Hopeless” hits local theaters this week, to be invited to the Cannes International Film Festival.

“(The festival took place in) a foreign country so I couldn’t really understand the feedback (I received). But just last week in Busan, I was able to meet with local audiences and hear their responses and communicate with them,” Kim told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday.

Kim and the actors from “Hopeless” attended the Busan International Film Festival which kicked off last Thursday for the Korean premiere of the film and for open talk sessions.

As the screenwriter and director of “Hopeless,” a film revolving around Yeo-kyu (Hong Sa-bin), a teenager abused by his stepfather, and his encounter with the right-hand man of a gang boss, Chi-gun (Song Joong-ki), Kim said he thought deeply about how the decisions one makes have consequences.

“When I was working on the scenario of ‘Hopeless,’ I was in a financially and mentally difficult situation. I thought about how you reap what you sow,” he said.

“I took on so many part time jobs to make ends meet while preparing for this film. I can’t even list them all because I did so many. I worked at a motel during the day and worked on my scenario while all the guests were asleep at night. Of course, it was a really difficult time, but I really appreciate it because I was able to write ‘Hopeless’ there,” he added.