Park Chan-wook Opens the British Academy Awards, Aiming for Two Crowns with "Decision to Leave"

Director Park Chan-wook's Second Challenge Following 'The Handmaiden'

Director Park Chan-wook poses with the trophy after receiving the Best Director Award for the film "Decision to Leave" at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival awards ceremony held on the 28th (local time) at the Lumi?re Grand Theatre in Cannes, France. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Director Park Chan-wook is challenging for two awards at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) with the film Decision to Leave. This is his second attempt following his win as the first Korean director to receive the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language with The Handmaiden in 2018.

According to the BAFTA shortlist announced on the 19th (local time) by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Decision to Leave has been nominated in two final categories: Best Director and Best Film Not in the English Language. However, it was excluded from the original screenplay and editing categories, for which it had been on the longlist.

Established in 1947, the BAFTA Awards ceremony is regarded as one of the most prestigious film awards in the English-speaking world. It is especially noted for its judging process that does not distinguish between British and American films, making it a significant indicator for the Academy Awards (Oscars) in the United States.

Since Director Park Chan-wook opened the door for Korean directors with his win for The Handmaiden in 2018, a series of Korean directors have continued to receive recognition. In 2020, Director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite was nominated in four categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Not in the English Language, and Best Original Screenplay, winning the latter two. In 2021, Director Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari was nominated in six categories including Best Film Not in the English Language, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress, with actress Youn Yuh-jung becoming the first Korean actor to win the Best Supporting Actress award.

Although Decision to Leave recently missed out on the Golden Globe Award for Best Non-English Language Film and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it has attracted attention by being shortlisted for the BAFTA Awards following its inclusion in the preliminary list for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

The BAFTA Awards ceremony will be held on February 19 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London.

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