MOVIE
Lee Byung-hun Shares Excitement and Insights on 'No Choice' at Busan International Film Festival
On the 17th, a press conference for the 30th Busan International Film Festival's opening film 'No Choice' was held at the Busan Cinema Center. Director Park Chan-wook, along with actors Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yum Hye-ran, were in attendance.
'No Choice' is a film about Man-soo, played by Lee Byung-hun, a company employee who felt he had achieved everything in life, only to be suddenly laid off. The story follows his personal battle to re-enter the workforce. This is the latest work by director Park Chan-wook.
Lee Byung-hun plays Yoo Man-soo, a job seeker who starts a new battle for re-employment after being abruptly dismissed from a paper company where he dedicated 25 years. He expressed his affection for the film, saying, “I have been eagerly waiting for this film, wondering if there was ever a project I anticipated this much after finishing shooting.” He added, “I checked if any of my films had ever been an opening film at the Busan Film Festival, and there weren’t any. I am thrilled to be here for the first time as an opening film.”
Regarding his focus on acting, Lee stated, “Man-soo is not a particularly unique or special character. He is an ordinary person who faces a big situation and makes extreme decisions to overcome it. I concentrated on how an ordinary person would perceive and feel in such extreme situations. Showing this convincingly to the audience was a significant challenge throughout the filming.”
The 'No Choice' team has traveled to various film festivals. Lee Byung-hun shared, “While attending festivals in Venice and Toronto, I was often asked, ‘Isn’t there a sense of crisis in our industry, similar to the paper industry?’” He continued, “The decline in paper usage is a challenge for the paper industry, just as the film industry faces its difficulties. I believe theaters are experiencing even greater challenges. How theaters overcome these challenges and become beloved places again is something all filmmakers should consider.” He also noted, “Although I don’t feel it directly, the film raises issues about AI in its latter part. AI could pose risks to actors and directors, and I felt a connection in that regard.”
'No Choice' is set to officially release on the 24th.
The 30th Busan International Film Festival runs from the 17th to the 26th at the Busan Cinema Center.
