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South Korean director Park Chan-wook made a triumphant return after 20 years to the Venice Film Festival, where he was greeted with a six-minute standing ovation for the twisted black comedy 'No Other Choice,' reported Variety.
Audiences were clearly thrilled to see Park and his leading man, "Squid Game" star Lee Byung-hun, who were welcomed into the Sala Grande Theatre with an enthusiastic round of applause before the film even began. Adapted from Donald E. Westlake's mystery novel "The Axe," the story follows a middle-aged man named Man-soo (Lee) who goes to desperate lengths to gain employment after being unexpectedly fired from the paper company he worked at for 25 years, according to Variety. As the credits stopped rolling around 12:30 a.m., Park soaked in the lengthy standing ovation and kept the cheers going as he waved to the room and hugged each actor in the film. The ensemble cast, most of whom were at the premiere, includes Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon and Lee Sung-min. After six minutes of clapping and hollering, the crowd quieted down and started to trickle out of the venue until someone shouted 'Bravo!' and sparked another, briefer round of applause, reported Variety. Park, a luminary of Korean cinema, is famous for writing and directing 'Oldboy,' 'Thirst' and 'The Handmaiden,' as well as producing 'Snowpiercer.' He last appeared in competition at Venice in 2005 with 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.' Although he laboured for two decades to get the proper budget to make "No Other Choice," Park said he knew the film's themes would remain relevant. (ANI)
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