Park Chan-wook's 'It Can't Be Helped' Enters Venice Competition After 13 Years... CJ ENM 'First in Korea'

[Financial News] The new film 'It Can't Be Helped' by director Park Chan-wook, invested and distributed by CJ ENM, and 'Bugonia' by director Yorgos Lanthimos, a remake of 'Save the Green Planet' completed in collaboration with a major Hollywood production company, have been officially invited to the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
CJ ENM announced on the 23rd, "It is the first time in Korea that two works from a single investment and distribution company have been invited to the Venice competition section in the same year," adding, "With this achievement, we have set a new record for the most invitations by a domestic investment and distribution company, with a total of nine works entering the Venice Film Festival."
On the 22nd (local time), the Venice Film Festival Secretariat announced 21 films invited to the competition section, including 'It Can't Be Helped', through a YouTube live press conference. It is the first time in 13 years that a Korean film has entered the Venice competition section since the late director Kim Ki-duk's 'Pieta' in 2012. For director Park Chan-wook, it is a triumph to enter the competition section again after 20 years since 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance' in 2005.
Director Park was invited to the Midnight Express section of the 61st Venice Film Festival with 'Three, Monster' in 2004, and entered the 62nd competition section with 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance', winning three awards: the Young Lion Award, Cinema Of The Future, and Best Innovated Film Award.
Director Park Chan-wook expressed his thoughts on this invitation, saying, "After completing the film and receiving the invitation to Venice, I feel glad that I didn't give up on this work over the long years." Lead actor Lee Byung-hun said, "I am so eager to see the completed work soon," and Son Ye-jin also said, "I am thrilled and honored that my first overseas film festival visit is Venice."
Jung Hyun-joo, head of CJ ENM's film business division, said, "It is very meaningful that 'It Can't Be Helped' and 'Bugonia' have been invited to the competition section side by side," adding, "We hope these works will bring new vitality to the stagnant Korean film industry, and we will continue our all-out efforts to achieve sustainable results on the global stage."
Meanwhile, 'It Can't Be Helped' is scheduled to be released domestically in September. Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin play the lead roles, and it tells the story of Mansu, an office worker living a satisfying life, who faces sudden dismissal and embarks on a journey to protect his family by seeking reemployment. It is based on the novel 'The Ax' by American writer Donald Westlake.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter