BIFF jury head Zhang Yimou says “creation is creation” amid “Assassins” controversy
In short
Zhang Yimou, jury president of the 31st Busan International Film Festival competition section, told a press conference in Busan that he had not seen “Assassins” but had heard about its content, and said creation is creation and need not be based on truth or fact. The film, about the shooting of Yuk Young-soo, has drawn historical-distortion complaints that Yonhap reported spread to boycotts of brands tied to its lead actor, protests outside the actor's home and the cancellation of the film's outdoor stage greeting at the festival. Fellow juror, director Jung Ju-ri, said filmmakers bear full responsibility for their work and that she felt “very intimidated”.
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Zhang Yimou, jury president of the 31st Busan International Film Festival competition section, addressed the controversy surrounding the Korean film “Assassins” at a jury press conference on 7 October at BIFF Hill in the Film Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Zhang said he had not seen the film but had heard about its content, and that “creation is creation”, adding that works are not always based on truth or fact. He said the relationship between historical truth and creation is difficult to capture in one word or resolve in a short time, and that what audiences feel after a film differs and they may disagree with one another, which he called the appeal of cinema. [ 1 , 16 , 17 ]
Yonhap reported that “Assassins”, which deals with the shooting of Yuk Young-soo, became the subject of a public argument over historical distortion and the boundary between fact and fiction. According to the same report, the fallout reached the festival: boycotts were directed at brands modelled by the film's lead actor, protests were held outside the actor's home, and an outdoor stage greeting for the film scheduled for that day was cancelled. [ 17 ]
Jung Ju-ri, another competition juror, also spoke about the issue. She said she had herself made a film based on a real case — “다음 소희” (2023), drawn from the death of a call centre trainee — and had met audiences for it. Jung said she thinks about how people are hurt by the stories films deal with and that this hurt can be expressed, while adding that whoever a film starts from, the filmmaker bears full responsibility and will naturally receive both criticism and sympathy. She said she felt “very intimidated” even though the film is not hers, and that she has lately thought it would be good to keep working on films. [ 2 , 17 ]
Other jurors set out their judging approaches. Director Bigan said competition matters because many people discuss the films and draw them into discourse, rather than because first and second places are decided, and that he will look for films that challenge his own experience and connect emotions between people. Actor Choi Hee-seo recalled seeing Lee Chang-dong's new film “가능한 사랑”, after which she spoke with her father, describing the experience as a first and very precious, and said a good film is one that makes you look back on yourself with questions. [ 17 ]
The competition section, now in its second year, invited 13 works from across Asia, including the Korean films “그날의 태주” by Lim Ha-yeon and “면도” by Kim Jung-hoon. The winner of the top Busan Award can be submitted for the Academy Awards' international feature film category, Yonhap reported. Results are due to be announced on 15 October, when the closing ceremony is held. The jury also includes actor Samal Yeslyamova, director Ishikawa Kei and producer Trần Thị Bích Ngọc. [ 4 , 5 , 12 , 17 ]
Why it matters
The festival's own competition jury was drawn into a domestic dispute over how films handle real events, at a time when the controversy had already disrupted a BIFF programme item. Because the section's top prize can be submitted for the Academy's international feature category, how the jury frames fact and fiction is being aired on an international stage. The remarks show a senior Chinese director and a Korean director publicly addressing the line between real events and fiction.
Key facts
- The competition jury press conference of the 31st Busan International Film Festival was held on 7 October at BIFF Hill in the Film Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. [ 2 , 14 , 17 ]
- Jury president Zhang Yimou said he had not seen “Assassins” but had heard about it, and that “creation is creation” and is not necessarily based on truth or fact. [ 1 , 16 , 17 ]
- Zhang said the relationship between historical truth and creation is hard to express in one word or resolve in a short time, and that differing audience reactions are what make film interesting. [ 17 ]
- Fellow juror Jung Ju-ri said filmmakers bear all responsibility for their work, will hear criticism and gain sympathy, and that she feels “very intimidated” even though the film is not hers. [ 17 ]
- The 31st BIFF competition section invited 13 works from across Asia, including Korean films Lim Ha-yeon's “그날의 태주” and Kim Jung-hoon's “면도”. [ 17 ]
- The jury also includes director Bigan, actor Samal Yeslyamova, director Ishikawa Kei, producer Trần Thị Bích Ngọc and actor Choi Hee-seo. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 12 , 17 ]
- Competition results will be announced on 15 October, the day of the closing ceremony. [ 17 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The competition jury press conference was held on 7 October at the Film Center in Busan, with Zhang Yimou as jury president and Jung Ju-ri, Bigan, Samal Yeslyamova, Ishikawa Kei, Trần Thị Bích Ngọc and Choi Hee-seo as jurors. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 17 ]
- Zhang Yimou addressed the controversy over the film “Assassins” by saying creation is creation. [ 1 , 16 , 17 ]
- The competition section results are to be announced on 15 October. [ 17 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Zhang Yimou has seen “Assassins”. He said in a single report that he had not seen the film but had heard about its content; no other document addresses this.
- The scale and organisers of the boycotts and protests linked to “Assassins”. Only Yonhap mentions boycotts of brands modelled by the lead actor and protests outside the actor's home, without further detail.
- Whether the controversy changed any other part of the festival programme beyond the cancelled outdoor stage greeting. Only one document reports the cancellation and no document says what else, if anything, was affected.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Korea Economic Daily publishes a report that Zhang Yimou has spoken about the “Assassins” controversy at BIFF. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo begins publishing photo captions from the competition jury press conference. [ 2 ]
- Newsis publishes photos of the press conference, including Zhang Yimou and Jung Ju-ri. [ 14 ]
- Seoul Shinmun carries a headline on Zhang Yimou's “creation is creation” remark about the controversy. [ 16 ]
- Yonhap publishes a detailed report with quotes from Zhang Yimou, Jung Ju-ri, Bigan and Choi Hee-seo. [ 17 ]