Director Park Chan-wook's new film 'Nothing Can Be Done', which had raised expectations for awards with critical acclaim, did not win at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
At the awards ceremony held in Venice, Italy, on the 6th (local time), the top prize, the Golden Lion, went to 'Father Mother Sister Brother'. 'Nothing Can Be Done' did not make it onto the list of winners.
Jim Jarmusch, who received the top honor, took the stage and began his remarks with an exclamation, saying, "What the hell."
He continued, "Art does not need to directly address politics to be political," and added, "Creating empathy and connection among people is the first step to solving problems."
He also mentioned that Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, when receiving the Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in the past, said, "I am still afraid because I don't know how to direct," and added, "I also feel a similar emotion as I am always in a learning position."
The Jury Prize, the second prize in the competition section, went to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's 'The Voice of Hind Rjab'. The film is 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 Smasher'. The Best Actor (Volpi Cup) was awarded to Toni Servillo for 'La Grazia', while the Best Actress (Volpi Cup) went to Chinese actress Xin Zhi for 'The Sunshine Above Our Heads'.
Director Park Chan-wook's 'Nothing Can Be Done' was highly anticipated as it competed in the festival. It is the first time in 13 years that a Korean film has entered the competition section since Kim Ki-duk's 'Pietà'. Park Chan-wook was invited for the first time in 20 years since 'Lady Vengeance' in 2005.
Despite the high expectations and critical acclaim, it was disappointing that the film did not win any awards. After the ceremony, Director Park stated, "I feel like I've already received a great award because the audience's response is better than any film I've made."
Starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, 'Nothing Can Be Done' tells the story of a company employee, Mansoo (played by Lee Byung-hun), who feels satisfied with life until he is suddenly fired. To protect his wife and two children and to keep the home he worked hard to acquire, he prepares for his own war towards re-employment.
This is Director Park's 12th feature film, which received overwhelming praise with a perfect score of 100 points from reviews by seven media outlets after its official screening at the Venice Film Festival on the 29th of last month.
It has been selected as Korea's representative entry for the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards, which will be held in February 2026, challenging for an Oscar.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
