[26th BIFF] Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Winner at Cannes and Berlin, "Won by Chance, Korean Cinema's Power Growing"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who surprised the global film industry this year with two films, shone at Busan. When asked about his acceptance speech, he calmly said, "I somehow ended up receiving it."

At the press conference for the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Gala Presentation of 'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy' and 'Drive My Car' held on the afternoon of the 8th at KNN Theater in U-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "I really enjoy watching the actors in my works. Through the way they make the lines their own and speak them, I feel another kind of emotion."

'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy' won the Jury Grand Prix at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, and 'Drive My Car' received the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes International Film Festival. Sweeping two major global film festivals this year, he is gaining attention as the next-generation director following Japan's Hirokazu Koreeda.

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who won trophies for both films this year, said, "I am very happy," but also laughed, saying, "I somehow ended up receiving the awards." He continued, "From judging at various film festivals including Busan, I felt that if the jury's taste matches, you win, and if not, you don't. Somehow, the opportunity to receive awards came to me. I am grateful but try not to be swayed by whether I win or not."

On the 7th, Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi met Director Bong Joon-ho in a special dialogue. Director Bong, who acted as the moderator, asked questions mixed with his own experiences, and Ryusuke responded leisurely. The witty conversation between the two masters heated up Busan. He said, "When Director Bong looked at me and asked many questions, it felt like he was warmly embracing me." He added, "I was physically tired, but I gained courage from the questions and answered. He is someone I deeply respect, and yesterday was the first time we had a long conversation. I was overwhelmed by his human charm." Smiling contentedly, he added, "It was a happy experience."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Sharing an anecdote about considering filming in Korea, Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "I recently noticed that the power of Korean cinema is gradually strengthening. I also have hopes that I can learn a lot through the Korean film production methods."

When asked about his intention in directing 'Drive My Car,' he bluntly said, "I don't know what true happiness is," and added, "I did not intend to depict true happiness." He answered, "Still, it is about how to feel joy and pleasure. I feel happy when I sense a state without stress or when living naturally."

Regarding the frequent appearance of betrayal, Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "It would be easier to find a film I made without betrayal," and joked, "Isn't betrayal something that often appears naturally in the process of acting naturally?"

Reflecting on the process of adapting Haruki Murakami's short stories as the original work, the director confessed, "It was a burden." He continued, "I think he is a difficult author to adapt into film. It is challenging for anyone to adapt literary works into movies, but especially so for this author." He said, "Murakami's writing is attractive because of its excellent depiction of the human inner world. The work depicts it so that people can feel 'the very sensation I felt.' That aspect probably resonates deeply with people worldwide. That is exactly the part that makes it difficult to adapt into a film."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.