[26th BIFF] "Good Movies Will Bring Audiences Back," Asked in Busan, Post-COVID [Focus]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Busan=Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] Will audiences return to movie theaters?

Will theaters, which fell silent due to the impact of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection), become bustling with people again? Over the past two years, the film industry has experienced ups and downs. As the number of visitors to movie theaters, classified as multi-use facilities, decreased, major distributors postponed their release schedules one after another. Will we be able to experience watching movies together in theaters again? At the 26th Busan International Film Festival, which set sail aiming for a normal opening this year at the gateway to 'With Corona,' we met actors and directors to ask about this.

Director Im Kwon-taek offered advice on the Korean film industry, which is going through ups and downs amid the 'post-Corona' and 'With Corona' era, during an interview held on the 7th at the Dongseo University Centum Campus Small Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan.

Will people gather in movie theaters again? When asked directly, Director Im Kwon-taek answered, "Yes." He added, "People visit theaters to find comfort and spend time. It has always been that way since theaters were established."

Director Im said, "Now, COVID-19 prevents people from freely enjoying what they like and find fun. We are living in a truly strange era," and emphasized, "Although it is difficult now because of Corona, if good films are made, the film industry can prosper again at any time."

Photo by BIFF

He also spoke about the atmosphere of Korean films gaining popularity by achieving good results at overseas film festivals and award ceremonies, such as 'Parasite.' Director Im said, "I tend to watch with interest in how well the films are completed," and nodded, saying, "Our films have now reached a global level. They are not behind anyone."

Director Im Kwon-taek also called his junior Bong Joon-ho to praise him. "I was always disappointed that Korean films showed incomplete aspects, but the highly completed 'Parasite' stood out. I think our films have now reached a global level and are progressing steadily."

On the 8th, actor Jo Jin-woong said, "There is no era before Corona," and emphasized the need to seek coexistence with online video services (OTT).

On that day, Jo Jin-woong said, "I once appeared as a presenter in a documentary titled '10 Years After Corona.' They said there will be no era before Corona anymore," and viewed it as "a transitional period that was accelerated by the pandemic." He added, "I recognize that a significant part is shifting to online content streaming. We need to communicate through arts such as theater and film. It's not that I feel a sense of crisis, but since the essence does not change, we should not be flustered and work hard on the given tasks."

Jo Jin-woong said he missed face-to-face events during his one and a half years of hiatus. He also mentioned a change in his thinking during the break and announced active collaboration with OTT platforms. "It took me six months just to understand the situation. We cannot just wait for apples to fall under the apple tree. We need to respond proactively," he said. "I am preparing short and feature films for OTT. My next film will also be released online. Filming will start in December. You can watch it anytime, anywhere. It's also nice that you can pause it when food delivery arrives and resume watching. Haha."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Throughout the interview, Jo Jin-woong emphasized that "the essence does not change." He meant that the content must be good. He said, "With completed content, we can communicate in any form. Indian theater has a history of over 5,000 years. They perform about 10 days a week. Even if you don't know the content well, you empathize with themes of hope, emotion, comfort, and longing. It's the same in any form. What does not change is the fundamental part of humans," and added, "We must continuously communicate with audiences through works."

Regarding the popularity of domestic original series released through OTT among overseas viewers, Jo Jin-woong laughed heartily and said, "Are they just realizing it now?" He added, "We have been constantly confirming this by watching good films in theaters every year. When 'Parasite' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, I jumped up and down at home watching it live. We can do it too, right? I feel we must keep knocking on the door."

Busan=Reporter Lee Iseul

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