Michelle Yeoh wants to work with Lee Chang-dong, and Fan Bingbing is still reeling from watching his latest film — the two Asian cinema icons heaped praise on the director’s “A Possible Love” as the 31st Busan International Film Festival hit its midpoint under the shadow of the “Assassins” controversy.
According to a Sports Chosun report from Busan on October 11, Yeoh — honored as this year’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year — told a press conference on October 7 that she wants to collaborate with Lee, and named Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho as well. She added that she loves K-pop, K-food, and Korean people, and hopes to work on a Korean production.
Fan Bingbing, attending the festival with two invited films, said she caught Lee’s “A Possible Love” at the Toronto Film Festival and was deeply struck by it, envying how freely the actors “swim” in their performances. The film took the Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival last month.
Meanwhile, the historical epic “Assassins” remains mired in a history-distortion controversy. The production company canceled its BIFF red carpet appearance, outdoor stage greetings, and Lee Min-ho’s Actor’s House event, citing attendee safety; BIFF organizers confirmed the cancellations in an official notice.
Jury member Zhang Yimou weighed in on the dispute at a press conference: “Creation is creation. I don’t think creation necessarily has to be based on truth or fact.” Director Jung Joo-ri added that filmmakers “must take full responsibility for the world they create, because it is our world.”
This year’s BIFF — the first held since FIAPF named it an A-list festival — opened October 6 and closes October 15, with 13 titles competing for the Busan Award Grand Prix, whose winner now qualifies for Academy Awards submission.
The “Assassins” dispute shows no sign of fading as the festival enters its second half.
