Director Park Chan-wook's new film "No Other Choice" was unveiled as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival.
On the afternoon of the 17th at Busan Cinema Center, the 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) premiered "No Other Choice" (directed by Park Chan-wook, distributed by CJ ENM, produced by Moho Film/CJ ENM Studios) domestically for the first time. At the press conference held after the press screening, director Park Chan-wook and the film's lead actors Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yeom Hye-ran attended and discussed the film with Park Ga-eon, BIFF senior programmer.
"No Other Choice" tells the story of Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), an office worker who felt his life was so fulfilled that he could say "I have achieved it all," who is suddenly fired and prepares his own war toward reemployment to protect his wife and two children and to hold on to the house he worked hard to acquire.
The film is director Park Chan-wook's new work following critically acclaimed films such as "Joint Security Area (JSA)," "Oldboy," "Thirst," "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance," "The Handmaiden," and "Decision to Leave." With top actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin cast along with Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Hee-soon, and Cha Seung-won, the star-studded lineup also raised expectations.
Meeting those expectations, "No Other Choice" was officially invited to compete in the competition section at the recent 82nd Venice Film Festival. Although it left Venice empty-handed, it became the first winner of the newly established International Audience Award at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, which closed on the 14th. It was also selected as South Korea's entry for the Academy Awards' international feature film category, increasing expectations for an Oscar win.
Director Park Chan-wook said, "I think everyone knows this is a project I've been preparing for a long time. It took that long, and I'm deeply moved to be able to present the film in Korea. Although the Busan Film Festival has a long history, it's the first time I've come as an opening film, so I'm excited. Moreover, since it's the 30th anniversary, I'm even more thrilled. I'm anxious about how the audience will receive it, and with a trembling heart I will attend today's opening ceremony."
Lee Byung-hun said, "I can't say I'm on the same level as the director, but this is a film I waited for so long after shooting that I wonder if there has ever been another. I checked whether any of my films had ever been screened as an opening film at BIFF, and I realized none had. I'm grateful and nervous to have my film as an opening film for the first time."
Son Ye-jin said, "I'm also so happy that I have the glorious opportunity to have my film be an opening film at BIFF. I'm thrilled to be able to see it with general audiences for the first time. I'm very curious how they will react. I think I will never forget today." she said with a smile.
Park Hee-soon said wittily, "I'm embarrassed to show an intoxicated appearance that is not beautiful in this beautiful city and for this beautiful film. But there is nothing I can do. The director selected me for the role of the intoxicated candidate, so I did my best. I hope you had a good time. Thank you," referring playfully to his spirited performance as the drunken candidate in the film.
Busan, which hosts the 30th BIFF. What kind of city is Busan for filmmakers? Director Park Chan-wook said, "I've filmed almost every movie at least partly in Busan. Some films were shot there even more extensively. Even when it didn't have to be Busan, I would forcefully add Busan scenes if we didn't film there because I would feel disappointed. It was the same this time."
He continued, "I like Busan so much that I often come down and stay here. I spend a long time here even when writing scripts. With the sea, the very complex urban scenery, and all the landscapes a film might need, I think Busan has everything. It also has good food and charming alleys and corners that make it great for staying, for holding a film festival, for making films, and for writing scripts — it's the best city."
Lee Byung-hun added, "I've done a lot of shooting in Busan since I was young. It seems to have many unique places. Looking at the locations we shot this time, I thought they resembled Mediterranean islands. Like high-altitude Mediterranean islands painted in vivid colors, it felt like a very exotic neighborhood while we were filming."
Son Ye-jin said, "I've also filmed a lot in Busan. Busan has a close relationship with cinema," adding with a laugh, "When I come to Busan I have to eat Sang-guk-ine tteokbokki. It's a beautiful place with many such famous eateries."
Park Hee-soon also joked, "It's a city that excites me every time I come. Senior Seong-min described Cannes as a small Haeundae, so it's a large and beautiful city that's good for filming. If you go a little further, Yeongdo has charming alleys and is great for shooting, so many filmmakers come here."
Lee Sung-min said, "Busan always excites me. Filming here is even more thrilling. I recently went to Venice. Busan is the best," drawing laughter. Yeom Hye-ran added, "Being here with these people feels like a dream, and Busan has been symbolic for me. It's a place I always wanted to attend a festival. As you'll see in the film, Ara (the role) and I have some similarities," she said with a smile.
Director Park Chan-wook said, "After reading the original novel I immediately wanted to make it into a film. It didn't require long deliberation. I instantly saw what was already in the novel and what wasn't yet there but could be added. The possibilities of comedy and the new, bolder direction of asking what would happen if the family realized what the protagonist did — those two aspects captivated me and kept me attached to the project. Of course, beyond that, the core appeal was the story the novel already had. It felt like a novel that could be received as an individual's story and a social story at the same time, allowing the film to look outward and inward. I wanted to delve deeper into a grand paradox: how a very pure motive to protect one's family or to pursue a beloved profession can lead to moral decay."
He added, "As for mise-en-scène and visual elements during shooting, those are grand topics hard to capture in a short time, but the house was important first. I thought Mansu's beloved house had to become an important character, so we spent a lot of time searching for that house. After finding it, the art team renovated it very newly. They even newly attached the concrete structures on the exterior that look like waves. They also newly styled the garden and greenhouse. Visually, that was the most important point."
Relatedly, Son Ye-jin said, "Miri felt the most realistic to me. I wanted her to look truly like a mother, like a wife, with everyday appearances that don't feel exaggerated but flow naturally. In such tragic circumstances, I thought about how Miri would watch this process. I played her believing she is more optimistic than expected, and that her way of overcoming reality is wiser and more realistic than it seems."
Director Park Chan-wook said, "The original novel came out in the 1990s, but there's not much difference from now," adding, "Some subjects have to be made when they first appear. But at least the original novel 'The Axe' is a story that can still be received as a personal and neighborhood tale as time passes." He stressed, "The technical advances of AI foreshadow a fundamental change. It is not yet at a stage to fundamentally change our industry and daily lives. Because the pace of development is hard to gauge, we don't know what might happen soon. In this chaotic state where nothing seems certain, I tried to weave this idea into the drama a bit. That point appears at the film's end, showing how Mansu looks at the factory where he finally finds a job. It was an idea introduced in the final stage of the script. We continued to explore it, even after editing and VFX were complete, trying to concretize the idea."
Finally, regarding the film's first presentation to Korean audiences, director Park Chan-wook said, "It's Korea and an Asian premiere. Although this film is based on an American novel, when moving the setting to Korea I tried to depict Mansu's limits and foolishness more distinctly due to obsession with the house and traces of patriarchal social customs. I think Korean audiences will understand and empathize with it better than audiences of any other country, and will click their tongues and say, 'That guy,' while watching."
Lee Byung-hun also said, "As an actor who worked on this project for a long time, I thought I knew the film fully, but seeing it twice or three times felt different. You have to see the details on the big screen to discover parts of the director's mise-en-scène I didn't know about and understand why he asked for certain things," adding, "As with any film, there are very clear reasons to watch it again in theaters. Rather than watching it on TV during future holidays, I recommend seeing it warmly in theaters." which drew laughter.
In particular, Son Ye-jin said, "I watched the film twice. The first time you'll notice senior Lee Byung-hun's acting first. The second time you'll notice me a bit more, and the third time you'll see senior Hee-soon, senior Seong-min, and Hye-ran's performances. I recommend watching it at least twice in theaters," she joked, adding more laughter.
Park Hee-soon said, "I also watched it twice. When I saw it in Venice I cried at the scene that made me laugh the most. By the end of the film my eyes were so swollen I could have been a dumpling. That was so strange. The fact that you can laugh once and cry once at the same film and the same scene seems to be a major charm of this film. I hope people can see it twice or three times."
Lee Sung-min said, "I hope Park Chan-wook's film achieves the best box office among his films, and I hope it is the highest-grossing film I've appeared in," which drew more laughter, and Yeom Hye-ran urged, "Even after watching it three times, there are still parts I don't understand. If you watch it many times it will be different, so please watch it multiple times."
"No Other Choice" opens on the 24th, and the 30th Busan International Film Festival runs from today (the 17th) through the 26th around Busan Cinema Center.
[Photo] Busan International Film Festival, provided by CJ ENM.
[OSEN]