A poster for “No Other Choice” is seen in this image provided by CJ ENM. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Director Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” has been officially invited to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion at this year’s Venice International Film Festival.
The announcement was made Tuesday during a livestream revealing the 21 films in the main competition section.
The acclaimed director’s latest film is the first Korean movie to compete for the festival’s top prize in 13 years after Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta,” which won the Golden Lion in 2012.
For Park, this is his second time in the Venice competition following his 2005 thriller “Lady Vengeance.”
Based on the mystery novel “The Ax” by American writer Donald E. Westlake, “No Other Choice” is a dark thriller following Man-soo (played by Lee Byung-hun), a middle-aged man who, after being suddenly fired from a paper company, becomes determined to find a new job and deals with those standing in his way.
Actress Son Ye-jin, known for the popular TV series “Crash Landing on You” (2019-2020) and the movie “The Negotiation” (2018), plays Man-soo’s cheerful and mentally strong wife, A-ra.
A still from Park Chan-wook’s new film, “No Other Choice,” is shown in this photo provided by CJ ENM and Moho Film. (Yonhap)
The cast also includes Lee Sung-min from “Handsome Guys” (2024), Yeom Hye-ran from the popular Netflix original “The Glory” (2022), Cha Seung-won of “Believer 2″ (2023), “Hospital Playlist” (2020) star Yoo Yeon-seok and Park Hee-soon of “The Policeman’s Lineage” (2022).
“No Other Choice” is Park’s first feature since “Decision to Leave” in 2022, for which he won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival that year.
In January, Park said he began writing the script for the movie almost 17 years ago.
“I feel deeply emotional as I’ve finally finished filming the project I’ve wanted to make the most for so long,” he said in a statement released by production company CJ ENM.
The 82nd edition of the film festival is scheduled to take place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 6.
“No Other choice” is set for local release in September.
(Yonhap)
