'No Other Choice' Misses Award... President Lee Says "Regardless of Award, Our Film Has Elevated Its Status"

President Lee: "A Meaningful Achievement... The Government Will Be a Strong Pillar of Support"
Director Park: "The Audience Reaction Surpassed That of Any Other Film?I Already Feel as If I Have Won a Great Prize"

On September 7, President Lee Jaemyung stated to the cast and crew of the film "No Other Choice" that, "Regardless of whether the film wins an award, the fact that a Korean film has entered the competition section of the Venice International Film Festival for the first time in 13 years is a meaningful achievement." He also pledged that the government would serve as a strong pillar of support for the film industry.

Yonhap News Agency

President Lee wrote on his social media account that day, "Director Park Chanwook, whose works have left a profound mark on the history of world cinema, has once again elevated the status of Korean film. I extend a heartfelt round of applause to Director Park, as well as to the cast and crew of 'No Other Choice,' who have never stopped taking on new challenges despite difficult circumstances."

He continued, "The director's deep insight and unique aesthetics, as shown through the film, will surely be etched in the hearts of movie fans around the world. The government will continue to be a strong pillar of support so that our filmmakers can freely imagine, create, and thrive on the global stage."

Previously, "No Other Choice," the latest film by Director Park Chanwook, premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival held at the Palazzo del Cinema on Lido Island, Venice, Italy, on September 6 (local time). The film received critical acclaim and heightened expectations, but ultimately did not win an award. After the awards ceremony, Director Park commented, "Of all the films I have made, this one received the best audience reaction, so I already feel as if I have received a great prize."

Yonhap News Agency

This marks the first time in 13 years that a Korean film has entered the competition section at the Venice International Film Festival, since Director Kim Kiduk's "Pieta." It has also been 20 years since a film by Director Park Chanwook was invited to the competition section of this festival, following "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in 2005.

This year's Golden Lion award went to "Father Mother Sister Brother" by American director Jim Jarmusch. Starring Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, the film explores the relationships between parents and their adult children, portraying the emotional distance between them in a trilogy format.