Lee Byung-hun's film 'No Other Choice' fails to win Venice Film Festival award... Director Park Chan-wook: ”I feel like I've already won a big award”

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival, has concluded its 11-day run. The festival's highest award, the Golden Lion, went to "Father Mother Sister Brother," directed by Jim Jarmusch, a leading American independent film director. Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice', the first Korean film to compete in the competition in 13 years, was a long-awaited success, but his hopes of winning were dashed.

Jarmusch, wearing sunglasses, took to the stage to accept the award, expressing his gratitude for the special honor he received from the festival, which celebrates diverse cinema. He also expressed his gratitude to everyone who worked with him on the film.

He continued, "I agree with Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who said he's always learning something new, and that he's scared because he doesn't know what to do."

"Father, Mother, Sister, Brother" is a trilogy of feature films depicting the delicate relationship between parents and their adult children. "Father" is set in New Jersey, USA; "Mother" in Dublin, Ireland; and "Sister, Brother" in Paris, France. The film stars Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, and Cate Blanchett.

The film was previously expected to compete at the Cannes Film Festival, but its selection at Venice has already attracted attention. Some have cited Jarmusch's entry into the competitive section as one of the major achievements of this year's Venice Film Festival. Venice Film Festival Artistic Director Alberto Barbera even congratulated the film, saying, "Cannes has won in the past, but this year he's in Venice."

However, many have expressed surprise at the film's top award win. Reuters reported, "While the film received positive reviews, it was not initially nominated for the Golden Lion."

Reuters reported, "Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice', despite receiving positive reviews, failed to win any awards." AP commented, "The Golden Lion was an anomaly, overtaking other highly acclaimed films like 'The Voice of Hind Laza,' which won the Grand Jury Prize, and the unrelated ' 'No Other Choice'"

Major international media outlets had previously praised 'No Other Choice' and predicted its chances of winning the Venice Film Festival. As this is the first Korean film to compete in the Venice Film Festival in 13 years since the late director Kim Ki-duk's 'Pietà,' expectations were high in Korea as well.

The BBC predicted, "This film has great potential for international success," while Indiewire reported, "Park's exquisitely directed satire about several unemployed people, 'No Other Choice', is sure to win any award at Venice."

Despite failing to win any awards, Park said, "I feel like I've won a big award." Immediately after the awards ceremony, director Park told reporters on-site, "The audience response has been better than any other film I've made, so I feel like I've already won a big award."

The challenge isn't over yet. 'No Other Choice' will be making another bid for an award at next year's Academy Awards (Oscars), following 'Parasite'. On the 4th, the Korean Film Council explained the selection process, saying, "It's a film that the Academy will cheer for, with its humorous irony of a tragedy that resonates with the world."

The film tells the story of Man-soo (played by Lee Byung-hun), a fired family head who reluctantly seeks employment in order to protect his family, children, and the home he worked so hard to provide. The film is based on Donald Westlake's novel 'The Axe'. It is scheduled to be released in Korea on the 24th of this month.