The Assassin(s) Mentioned at BIFF... Directors Speak Out

[Anchor]

Questions were raised at the Busan International Film Festival about the movie "The Assassin(s)," which has been facing criticism over controversies regarding the distortion of history.

Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung explores how domestic and international directors view this controversy.

[Reporter]

At the press conference for the competition section jury of the Busan International Film Festival,

a question was raised asking the jurors about the boundary between historical truth and freedom of creation.

Renowned Chinese master director Zhang Yimou, who has won awards at all of the world's top three film festivals, spoke up first, saying that while he had not seen the film, he was aware of the controversy.

Stating that it is difficult to clearly explain the relationship between historical truth and creation in a single word, he remarked as follows.

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

As a director who has made films set against the backdrop of modern Chinese history, such as "Red Sorghum" and "To Live," Zhang said the issue is how audiences perceive the fictionalized parts versus the historical truth.

[Zhang Yimou / Head of BIFF Competition Jury: (Therefore) it is very difficult to unify the perspectives of how people view things these days, or how the younger generation sees them. Rather, I think this aspect is what makes films most attractive in drawing audiences.]

Director July Jung, the only South Korean director on the jury, also spoke cautiously.

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

[July Jung / BIFF Competition Jury Member: What I feel right now is that I feel so intimidated, even though it's not even my movie, as someone who makes films.]

She also expressed the emotions she felt while watching the current situation unfold.

[July Jung / BIFF Competition Jury Member: There are people who might be hurt because of a movie, because of this story. Naturally, that pain can be expressed. While thinking about that, on the other hand, when responses like this come right back from expressing something through film, what should I do next?]

Director Jung concluded her remarks by saying she hopes she can continue making films while expecting both empathy and criticism.

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