Director Park Chan-wook's latest film, "No Other Choice," has been selected as the opening film for the 30th Busan International Film Festival.
"No Other Choice" tells the story of 'Mansoo' (played by Lee Byung-hun), a company employee who thought he had everything in life until he suddenly loses his job. To protect his wife and two children, and to save the house he worked hard to acquire, Mansoo prepares for his own battle to re-enter the workforce.
At this year's Busan International Film Festival opening ceremony, actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays Mansoo, a job seeker starting a desperate battle for reemployment, and Son Ye-jin, one of the leading actresses in the Korean film industry, plays his wife 'Miri,' who tries to protect her family against all crises. The film promises powerful performances by the two actors, who are paired as a couple for the first time, along with a strong supporting cast including Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won. With its dramatic plot, unique mise-en-scene, and solid direction, the film depicts the desperate struggle of one man to protect his life and family. Director Park Chan-wook has previously expressed his deep affection for this film at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, calling it "the story I most want to tell."
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Busan International Film Festival has chosen "No Other Choice" as the perfect film to kick off its landmark year. The selection reflects what the festival believes the audience of over 5,000 attendees most wants to see, while also injecting fresh energy into the current Korean film industry.
Jung Han-seok, the festival's executive director, shared his excitement: "The thought of sharing Director Park Chan-wook's most desired story with a large audience on the opening day of the festival fills me with emotion and anticipation. I hope the selection of 'No Other Choice' as the opening film will increase interest in this work and, by extension, in Korean cinema as a whole."
"No Other Choice," the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival, will be available for viewing from September 17th (Wednesday) to September 26th (Friday) during the festival.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)