Directors Speak Out: "Creation Is Just Creation" and "We Feel So Intimidated"

[Anchor]

Questions regarding the film "The Assassin(s)" continued to surface on the second day of the Busan International Film Festival. How are domestic and international directors, who have long created films based on modern history and true events, viewing this recent controversy?

Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung has the story.

[Reporter]

At the press conference for the Busan International Film Festival competition section, jurors were asked about the boundaries between historical truth and creative freedom.

Chinese master director Zhang Yimou, who has won awards at all three major international film festivals, took the lead by stating that while he had not seen the film, he was aware of the controversy.

Remarking that it is difficult to clearly explain the relationship between historical truth and creation in a single word, he shared the following thoughts.

[Zhang Yimou / Head of the Competition Jury, Busan International Film Festival: As everyone knows, creation is just creation, and it may not be entirely based on truth.]

As a director who has crafted films set against the backdrop of modern Chinese history, such as "Red Sorghum" and "To Live," Zhang noted that the issue lies in how audiences perceive the fictionalized elements versus the historical truths.

[Zhang Yimou / Head of the Competition Jury, Busan International Film Festival: Therefore, it is very difficult to unify the perspectives of how contemporary people or the younger generation view it. Rather, I think this aspect is what makes films most attractive in drawing audiences.]

Director July Jung, the sole Korean juror on the panel, also cautiously spoke out.

Jung's previous film "Next Sohee," which was invited to Cannes, was also based on a true story.

[July Jung / Juror, Competition Section, Busan International Film Festival: What I feel right now is that, even though it is not my film, I feel so intimidated as a filmmaker.]

She also expressed the complex emotions brought on by observing the current situation.

[July Jung / Juror, Competition Section, Busan International Film Festival: Recognizing that people might be hurt by a film or a story, and understanding that those wounds can naturally find expression, I also wonder on the other hand: if expressing things through film brings these kinds of reactions, what should I do next?]

Jung concluded her remarks by expressing hope that she can continue making films while anticipating both empathy and criticism.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Camera: Lee Byung-joo | Video Editing: Kim Jong-mi | Design: Kim Ye-ji)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.