Filmmakers in Busan urge politicians not to use film Amsalja(deul) as a political tool
In short
About 20 filmmakers, including directors Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, held an emergency press conference in front of Haeundae Beach in Busan on the morning of October 8, urging that the film Amsalja(deul) (암살자(들)) not be made a tool of political strife amid a 'historical distortion' controversy. In a joint statement they said politics should not take the place of the audience's judgment, and they criticised the release of personal details of people involved in the film and threats against them. Audience events for the film at the 31st Busan International Film Festival have been cancelled.
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About 20 filmmakers attending the 31st Busan International Film Festival held an emergency press conference in front of Haeundae Beach on the morning of October 8, urging that the film Amsalja(deul) (암살자(들)) not be turned into a tool of political strife amid a 'historical distortion' controversy over it. Those present included directors Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, Han Jae-duk (한재덕) of Sanai Pictures (사나이픽쳐스), Kim Dong-hyun (김동현) of the Seoul Independent Film Festival and Kim Hong-joon (김홍준), former head of the Korean Film Archive. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In a joint statement, the filmmakers said the debate had spread beyond the film itself to politics, public institutions, investors, theatres and festival screenings. Korea Economic Daily also listed schools and overseas festivals, and Hankook Ilbo described pressure on public institutions and investors, demands to halt screenings, criticism of school group viewings and calls to withdraw an overseas festival invitation. The filmmakers said judging the film is for audiences and that the use of public powers, such as parliamentary audit data requests, needs clear principles. Hankook Ilbo reported that a culture ministry audit the previous day had featured disputes over whether the film's director and crew should appear and over its investment and support. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Jung Sang-min (정상민), vice chair of a Korean film producers' association, said the dispute had reached the stage of mobilising public resources to sanction a film and that creative work could shrink if this were repeated. Chung Ji-young said film cannot replace history, but questioning the puzzles history leaves is one of the duties of artists, and called it ridiculous for politicians to take issue with that. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The filmmakers also addressed the Singapore International Film Festival, which chose the film as its opening title. Yonhap reported that the People Power Party wrote to festival executive director Jeremy Chua (제레미 추아) on October 6 asking for the selection to be withdrawn, and that the festival said the next day it would screen the film as planned after an independent selection process. The filmmakers said selection is the festival's independent decision and reception is for audiences. [ 1 , 2 ]
They said personal details of people involved in the film had been made public, their homes and daily lives intruded upon and threats made against them, which they said is different from criticism or political expression. They said they were not defending the film's truthfulness or quality, nor asking people not to oppose it. [ 1 , 2 ]
Audience events for the film at the Busan festival, including stage greetings, were cancelled. Hankook Ilbo reported that director Hur Jin-ho and the cast had planned to attend the opening ceremony and outdoor stage events but cancelled, citing safety concerns. Kim Hong-joon said it was not the first time a film had become a political dispute at the Busan festival and that discussion among filmmakers after the festival could set a constructive, democratic example. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The filmmakers said the dispute had moved from criticism of a film to the use of public resources to sanction it, and the producers' association vice chair warned that creative work could shrink if this is repeated. The controversy has also reached abroad: the People Power Party asked the Singapore International Film Festival to drop the film as its opening title, and the festival declined.
Key facts
- About 20 filmmakers attending the 31st Busan International Film Festival held an emergency press conference in front of Haeundae Beach on the morning of October 8. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Attendees included directors Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, Sanai Pictures (사나이픽쳐스) head Han Jae-duk (한재덕), Seoul Independent Film Festival executive director Kim Dong-hyun (김동현) and former Korean Film Archive head Kim Hong-joon (김홍준). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Their joint statement urged that Amsalja(deul) (암살자(들)) not be used as a tool of political strife and that politics not substitute for the audience's judgment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The People Power Party sent a letter on October 6 to Singapore International Film Festival executive director Jeremy Chua (제레미 추아) asking it to withdraw the film as its opening title. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Singapore festival said it chose the film through an independent selection process and would screen it as its opening film as planned. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The filmmakers said personal details of people involved in the film had been made public, their homes and daily lives intruded upon, and threats made against them. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Audience events for the film at this year's Busan International Film Festival, including stage greetings, were cancelled. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- About 20 filmmakers, including Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, held an emergency press conference in front of Haeundae Beach in Busan on October 8 over the Amsalja(deul) controversy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The filmmakers said the dispute over the film had spread beyond assessment of the work to politics, public institutions, investors, theatres and film festival screenings. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The People Power Party asked the Singapore International Film Festival to withdraw the film as its opening title, and the festival said it would screen it as planned. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Audience events for the film at this year's Busan International Film Festival were cancelled. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The filmmakers said they were not defending the truthfulness or quality of the film, nor asking people not to oppose it. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- What the 'historical distortion' accusations against the film specifically concern. None of the documents describes the film's content or the specific claims of distortion.
- Why director Hur Jin-ho and the cast cancelled their Busan festival appearances. Only Hankook Ilbo reports that they cancelled citing safety concerns as the controversy grew; the other outlets say only that audience events were cancelled.
- Who released personal details of people involved in the film or made threats against them. The filmmakers described the threats but no document identifies who was responsible.
- How the Busan International Film Festival itself views the controversy. Hankook Ilbo reports that the festival has not issued a separate statement on the dispute.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the filmmakers' emergency press conference in Busan. [ 1 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reports the press conference and the filmmakers' joint statement. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the press conference, adding details of the parliamentary audit and the cancelled appearances by the director and cast. [ 3 ]