Director Park Chan-wook's film 'Nothing Can Be Done' did not achieve its dream of winning an award at the Venice International Film Festival.
The Venice International Film Festival announced the winners of the competition categories at the closing ceremony held on the 6th (local time) on the Lido Island in Venice, Italy.
The top prize, the Golden Lion, went to legendary American independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch's 'Father Mother Sister Brother.' This film, a trilogy about the relationship between parents and children, is Jarmusch's first new work in six years since 'Dead Don't Die' (2019).
The Jury Prize, the second prize in the competition category, was awarded to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's 'The Voice of Hind Rjab,' based on the true story of a 6-year-old girl who faced tragedy while fleeing from the bombardment in the Gaza Strip. The Best Director award went to Benny Safdie for the film 'The Smashing Machine,' which depicts the life of a mixed martial artist, while Italian actor Toni Servillo won Best Actor for 'La Grazia,' and Chinese actress Xin Zhi won Best Actress for her role in 'The Sunshine Above Our Heads.'
After its premiere last month, 'Nothing Can Be Done' received a 9-minute standing ovation and various praises, raising expectations for the Golden Lion award, but unfortunately did not receive the jury's selection. After the awards ceremony, Director Park Chan-wook briefly expressed, "The audience's reaction has been better than any of my films, so I already feel like I've received a great award."
The film 'Nothing Can Be Done' tells the story of 'Mansu' (Lee Byung-hun), an office worker who felt satisfied with life until he was suddenly fired. To protect his wife and two children and to keep the house he worked hard to acquire, he prepares for his own war towards re-employment.
Returning empty-handed from Venice, 'Nothing Can Be Done' is set to challenge the Academy Awards (Oscars) next year and has also been invited to the Gala Presentation section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, which opened on the 4th.
Additionally, 'Nothing Can Be Done' achieved pre-sales in over 200 countries worldwide ahead of its release on September 24. Confirmed purchases have been made in North America, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and South America, with sales continuing in other countries. This figure surpasses the previous record of 192 countries for Park Chan-wook's film 'Decision to Leave' and marks the highest overseas sales performance for a Korean film distributed by CJ ENM.
[Kim Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
