The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened Wednesday with Park Chan-wook’s latest feature, “No Other Choice,” fresh from its world premiere in Venice and now making its Asian debut. Unlike the director’s grim thrillers “Oldboy” and “Lady Vengeance,” this new work is a stylized murder-comedy set in South Korea’s paper-mill industry.
At an opening day press event, Park explained that while reading Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 horror novel “The Ax,” he recognized its “comedy potential.” The resulting film is a reimagining that takes the story “in a much bolder direction” than the source material.
Park’s approach blends cartoonish chaos with real-world anxieties: The protagonist, Man-soo, played by Lee Byung-hun from “Squid Game,” carries out absurd hit jobs to save his family’s home, while subplots hint at shifting economies and elder-care strains.
Park noted that “No Other Choice” is deliberately grounded in current fears, saying he added an AI subplot at the end to reflect “a fear we all share.”
“AI development heralds social change,” the director said. “We don’t know what might happen soon. That’s why I wanted to incorporate the idea of AI.”
The film’s setting — ailing factories and deserted spaces — mirrors global and local industry conversations, while the story of working-class struggle to hold onto a home also plays as an allegory for filmmakers fighting to keep their art alive amid shifting economies. Lee noted this parallel, saying, “the film industry is suffering difficulties similar to the paper industry. Above all, the cinema itself is in crisis. ... That’s a concern we all share.”
Lee went on to express how this premiere was personally meaningful. “This is the most I’ve ever looked forward to (seeing) one of my films,” he said with smile.
For BIFF, selecting “No Other Choice,” a socially pointed crowd-pleaser, as its opening film is significant in several ways. Despite being one of South Korea’s most prominent filmmakers, this is the first time a film directed by Park has opened the Busan festival (although he produced last year’s opener, “Uprising”), and BIFF’s pivot toward blockbuster prestige — with 328 films including a new international competition — reflects its growing global clout. According to BIFF director Jung Han-seok, the 30th edition boasts the strongest lineup in the festival’s history, cementing its reputation as one of Asia’s leading cinematic events.
The opening gala itself brought together a who’s-who of international cinema. Lee hosted the event before luminaries from Asia and Hollywood, such as Taiwanese actor Sylvia Chang, Japan’s Ken Watanabe, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and American director Michael Mann. Even Lisa, from the hit K-pop group Blackpink, walked the red carpet and sat in the audience during the ceremony.
While this glittering backdrop suggested South Korea’s rising dominance in the global film industry, “No Other Choice” made a pointed statement — we have 'no other choice' but to reckon with change.
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