The Busan International Film Festival has been energized by the arrival of glamorous stars, but repeated tardiness and a lack of apologies have drawn the ire of audiences.
On the third day of the 30th Busan International Film Festival held at the Busan Cinema Center on the 19th, the moments audiences look forward to most are open talks and stage greetings where actors and directors introduce their works in person. But that day the venue left an uncomfortable aftertaste as a "star tardiness relay" continued.
First was the open talk for the film The People Upstairs, scheduled for 11 a.m. It was originally planned to run from 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m., but the host asked for understanding, saying the actors would be slightly late due to traffic congestion. Ha Jung-woo, Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Dong-wook eventually appeared at 11:15 a.m., 15 minutes later than the scheduled time.
The problem was that as soon as they took the stage they immediately dove into discussion about the film without offering any apology. The event was hurriedly wrapped up around 11:43 a.m. so it could not run beyond the scheduled end time, meaning about one-third of the total schedule disappeared into thin air.
In his final remarks Ha Jung-woo left the audience a warm message, saying he hopes they enjoyed their day through the film, but there was no sense of respect for the hours hundreds of audience members had waited. One audience member at the scene expressed bitterness, saying, It told people to enjoy their day while failing to consider the day of those who waited. At the very least there should have been an apology for being late.
A similar situation repeated in the afternoon. The stage greeting for Marriage Banquet, starring Youn Yuh-jung, also began 15 minutes late. Rising actor Han Gi-chan appeared on time and filled the time alone, and Youn Yuh-jung and director Andrew Ahn, who joined later, continued the event without any particular comment. The host explained on their behalf that it was because of traffic congestion and even offered comfort to Youn Yuh-jung, but there was no direct apology to the audience.
Reactions at the scene were mixed. Some said they understood that unexpected situations like traffic congestion could be unavoidable, but many audience members voiced dissatisfaction, saying that no matter how busy or unsettled someone is, at least a single apology is basic courtesy. There were also comments that the festival seems to take care of only the actors and the films, while the audience who paid expensive ticket prices and waited are being neglected.
Ultimately the heart of the controversy is respect for audiences whose time was taken. While unavoidable circumstances like traffic congestion can occur, the atmosphere would have been different if there had been even a single apology. What audiences who came to the festival wanted was not only the dazzling arrival of stars but also at least some consideration for those who waited.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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