Busan Film Festival Declines to Answer Questions on 'The Assassins' Controversy
In short
The Busan International Film Festival declined to answer questions about the film “암살자(들)” at the Oct. 6 press conference for its opening film, with programmer 정지혜 saying a previously announced notice was the festival's position. A coalition of 19 film organizations had warned that criticism of the work was turning into pressure on individuals, and some conservative groups held rallies at places presumed to be the actors' residences. The film's side cancelled scheduled events ahead of the festival opening.
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The Busan International Film Festival declined to answer questions about the film “암살자(들)” at the press conference for its opening film on Oct. 6, according to Newsis, Chosun Ilbo and CBS NoCut News. The session was held at the 영화의전당 중극장 in Haeundae, Busan, for the opening film “낮과 밤은 서로에게”. Chosun Ilbo described the film at the centre of the questions as recently caught up in a political controversy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Programmer 정지혜 told the conference that a question about “암살자(들)” and other Korean films had been submitted, and that because the session was the opening film's press conference she asked for the questioners' understanding, adding that “the previously announced notice is the festival's position,” CBS NoCut News reported. The report said the question had asked what the festival's official position was, given that criticism of the work was turning into what it described as excessive actions toward actors and production staff. [ 3 ]
Director 김종관 attended the press conference along with actors 김민하, 주종혁, 한선화, 장률, 심은경, 전소영 and 김동휘, according to Newsis. CBS NoCut News listed the same group but gave the last name as 김도휘. [ 1 , 3 ]
CBS NoCut News reported that 영화인연대, a coalition of 19 film organizations, had issued a statement saying that debate over a work dealing with a real historical event, and respect for the pain of bereaved families and those who remember that period, should be kept separate from pressure on individuals, because discussion was affecting the daily lives and safety of people involved in the film or who had commented on it. The same report said some conservative groups held rallies at places presumed to be the residences of the film's actors. [ 3 ]
The production team said the film was not made to newly settle a particular historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts, that it does not designate any specific person as being behind an incident, and that its hypotheses and dramatic settings are not presented as historical fact, CBS NoCut News reported. The report added that as criticism continued, the film's side cancelled events scheduled ahead of the festival opening, while stage greetings by lead actors 유해진, 박해일 and 이민호 and 이민호's Actor House event had been planned for the festival. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The episode shows a dispute over a film's reading of history moving from debate about the work to pressure on the people involved, as film organizations themselves warned. The festival's decision to point to an earlier notice rather than answer leaves its official position resting on a statement the documents do not reproduce.
Key facts
- The 31st Busan International Film Festival held a press conference for its opening film “낮과 밤은 서로에게” at the 영화의전당 중극장 in Haeundae, Busan, on Oct. 6. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Programmer 정지혜 said the festival would not take questions on the film “암살자(들)” on the grounds that the session was an opening-film press conference, and said “the previously announced notice is the festival's position.” [ 1 , 3 ]
- Director 김종관 and actors 김민하, 주종혁, 한선화, 장률, 심은경, 전소영 and 김동휘 (given as 김도휘 by CBS NoCut News) attended the press conference. [ 1 , 3 ]
- 영화인연대, made up of 19 film organizations, said in a statement that discussion of a work dealing with a real historical event must respect the pain of bereaved families and those who remember the period, but that criticism of the work and pressure on individuals must be clearly separated. [ 3 ]
- According to CBS NoCut News, some conservative groups held rallies at places presumed to be the residences of actors in the film. [ 3 ]
- The production team said the film was not made to settle a particular historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts, and that it does not designate any specific person as being behind an incident or present dramatic hypotheses as historical fact. [ 3 ]
- The film's side cancelled scheduled events ahead of the Busan International Film Festival opening, CBS NoCut News reported. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Busan International Film Festival declined to answer questions about the film “암살자(들)” at its opening-film press conference on Oct. 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The press conference was for the opening film “낮과 밤은 서로에게” and was held on Oct. 6 in Haeundae, Busan. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Programmer 정지혜 appeared at the press conference on behalf of the festival. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- What the previously announced notice that the festival cited as its position says. CBS NoCut News reports the festival referred to an earlier notice but none of the documents reproduce or summarise its content.
- Whether the stage greetings by 유해진, 박해일 and 이민호 and 이민호's Actor House event will go ahead at this year's festival. CBS NoCut News says the film's side cancelled scheduled events before the festival opening, but the same report lists the stage greetings and Actor House event as scheduled at the festival, so the documents do not state clearly which events are cancelled.
- The spelling of one attending actor's name. Newsis lists 김동휘 while CBS NoCut News lists 김도휘 among the attendees.
- Why the festival chose not to answer beyond pointing to its earlier notice. The only explanation in the documents is the single quote from programmer 정지혜 in CBS NoCut News.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes a report and photographs from the Busan International Film Festival opening-film press conference. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that the film festival declined to answer questions about “암살자(들)”. [ 2 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports programmer 정지혜's remark that the previously announced notice is the festival's position. [ 3 ]