It's a Shame! 'No Other Choice' Misses Out on Award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival

Director Park Chan-wook's new film 〈No Other Choice〉 missed out on an award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It was the first time in 20 years since Park Chan-wook was invited to the competition section of the Venice Film Festival, following 〈Lady Vengeance〉 in 2005. It was also the first time in 13 years for a Korean film to enter the competition section since 〈Pietà〉 (directed by Kim Ki-duk), which won the Golden Lion. After the closing ceremony, Park Chan-wook told local reporters, "I feel like I've already won a big award because the audience reaction is better than any film I've made." Among the films in the competition section, 〈No Other Choice〉, which was mentioned as a strong contender for the award, along with Yorgos Lanthimos's 〈Poor Things〉, and new works by renowned directors such as Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, and Noah Baumbach, did not make it to the list of award winners this time.

Meanwhile, the top award, the Golden Lion, went to Jim Jarmusch's 〈Father, Mother, Sister, Brother〉. 〈Father, Mother, Sister, Brother〉 is a trilogy that depicts the subtle relationships between parents and adult children, featuring Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, and Cate Blanchett. The Jury Prize was awarded to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's 〈The Voice of Hind Raajab〉. The Best Director award went to Benny Safdie for the film 〈Smashing Machine〉. Additionally, the Best Actor award went to Tony Servillo for 〈La Grazia〉, the Best Actress award went to Shin Ji-hee for 〈The Sunshine Above Our Heads〉, and the Best New Actor award went to Luna Wedler for 〈Silent Friend〉.

Set to be released on September 24, 〈No Other Choice〉 tells the story of an office worker named 'Mansu' (Lee Byung-hun), who feels that he has achieved everything in life, but suddenly gets fired. To protect his wife and two children and to keep the house he worked hard to acquire, he prepares for his own war towards re-employment. This film showcases Park Chan-wook's unique solid direction and insights into society, with a star-studded cast including Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won, which further enhances the film's quality.

Previously, director Park Chan-wook was invited to the Midnight Express section of the 61st Venice International Film Festival with 〈Thirst〉, and competed in the 62nd Venice International Film Festival with 〈Lady Vengeance〉, winning the 'Young Lion Award', 'Cinema Of The Future', and 'Best Innovated Film Award'. Thus, director Park Chan-wook has been officially invited to the Venice International Film Festival for the third time with the film 〈No Other Choice〉, which he has long wanted to make, proving his strength as a global master. Additionally, it was the first time in 13 years that a Korean film entered the competition section since 〈Pietà〉 in 2012.