The 82nd Venice International Film Festival competition institutional sector selection and the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival, No Other Choice, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Lee Byung-hun, successfully completed a Q&A and an "In Conversation with" event at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
After the gala premiere screening at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, the film No Other Choice, which received warm acclaim, held a Q&A after the screening on Sept. 9 (Tue) local time in Canada.
At the premiere screening, amid pouring cheers and applause, Park Chan-wook said, "I felt very proud and grateful that parts I thought would be too subtle for first-time viewers to catch moved them sensitively and made them cry and laugh," and Lee Byung-hun said, "Throughout the film, the enthusiastic reaction in the theater overwhelmed me."
Listening to the stories about No Other Choice that officials and audience members at the festival shared, I was surprised by their detailed impressions and felt their deep affection for the film, he said, responding to the audience. Meanwhile, after the official screening, explosive reactions poured in including "Park Chan-wook's characteristic clever cinematic ingenuity is displayed throughout, and the pleasure of sinking into it is great. The actors' performances are also overwhelming" (@kev), "In the tightly built black comedy there are twisted perspectives, images full of symbolism, sharp editing and music that breathe. Truly an unforgettable experience" (@Jack Kecskes), and "In an era when job seeking is increasingly pushed to the brink, a film that captures how despair eats away at the human heart" (@Ezra Cubero). In the ensuing Q&A, Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun took time to answer a barrage of questions from the global audience.
Park Chan-wook said of Lee Byung-hun's powerful performance, "I had faith in him because he already showed amazing acting and a great sense of humor in Joint Security Area (JSA). Unlike then, now that he has become a father, I think that helped him portray the role of Mansu more deeply." Lee Byung-hun, speaking about working with Park Chan-wook, said, "He is the kind of detail-oriented person who never misses even the smallest thing. Even before filming begins, he already has a completed edit in his head," showing special affection.
On Sept. 10 (Wed) at 3 p.m. local time, the event "In Conversation with…" concluded successfully at TIFF Bell Lightbox. While taking a special time to look back on Park Chan-wook's body of work, Lee Byung-hun joined the discussion about No Other Choice and heated the atmosphere with an in-depth conversation about the film. With such explosive reactions, after completing the official Q&A and the "In Conversation with…" event, No Other Choice is expected to captivate audiences worldwide with its high level of completion.
Featuring a gathering of trusted actors, dramatic developments, beautiful mise-en-scène, solid directing, and even black comedy, Park Chan-wook's new film No Other Choice tells the story of Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), an office worker who felt his life was so fulfilled that he felt he had it all, but is suddenly fired. To protect his wife and two children, to hold on to the house he worked hard to acquire, and preparing his own war toward reemployment, the story follows what unfolds. It opens on Sept. 24.
[Photo] CJ ENM, Moho Film
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