BIFF's Gala Presentation honors works from Asia and Europe's finest filmmakers

The films of BIFF’s Gala Presentation are selected by the BIFF organizers every year to introduce the most noteworthy works to watch out for during the festival.

Still from Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi's film ″Cloud″ [BIFF]

BUSAN — The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Gala Presentation is a selection that shines a spotlight on global cinematic artistry, and this year it featured five films from renowned directors like Japan’s Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Portugal’s Miguel Gomes, France’s Patricia Mazuy and China’s Jia Zhangke. With each film offering a distinct narrative lens, these visionary directors and their works invite audiences to explore the depths of the human experience.

The films of BIFF’s Gala Presentation are selected by the BIFF organizers every year to introduce the most noteworthy works to watch out for during the festival.

This year, two of director Kurosawa’s latest films — “Cloud” and “Serpent’s Path” — were selected for the gala. The director says that releasing two films in the same year is a feat that someone of his age could not have easily achieved.

“If I think about if there's another 69-year-old director who can film and release two films a year like this, I don't think there is,” the director said during a press conference on Thursday at Shinsegae Department Store in Haeundae District, Busan. “So, I thought to myself, maybe I'm a somewhat different kind of director.”

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, right, speaks during a press conference on Thursday at Shinsegae Department Store in Haeundae District, Busan. From left, Pak Do-sin, the interim festivial director of the 29th Busan International Film Festival and director Kurosawa [BIFF]

Director Kurosawa’s action thriller film "Cloud" follows an ordinary young man, working as an online reseller, who becomes embroiled in life-threatening events.

The director revealed that he began planning the film with the idea of fully committing to creating action films in Japan.

“Of course, there are genre films that deal with action in Japan, but many of the ones that have come out so far felt too disconnected from reality, making them seem like fantasies,” Kurosawa said. “Also, it is extremely common in Japan today to have action films featuring characters like yakuza, police officers or murderers — people who are already very close to violence in their daily lives. That's why I thought I wanted to make something a bit different.”

The director’s other film, “Serpent’s Path,” is a French-language remake of his 1998 film of the same name. The film follows a man’s journey where he seeks revenge for his daughter's murder with help from a woman who is a doctor.

Still from Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi's film ″Serpent's Path″ [BIFF]

The director was motivated to remake his own film because he felt the original version didn’t fully represent his vision. Instead, it reflected more of the style and influence of the original writer, Hiroshi Takahashi.

“[The original version] was heavily influenced by Takahashi, so I even thought that the film might not be truly my own,” the Japanese director said. “That’s why I think a strong desire to reclaim it as my own work was brought up, which ultimately led me to remaking [my own film].”

Director Kurosawa also received BIFF’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year award during its opening ceremony held at the Busan Cinema Center on Wednesday. The award is given to those who have made significant contributions to the growth of Asian cinema and the film industry, as well as the nurturing of future filmmakers.

During the opening ceremony, a video from director Bong Joon-ho was played honoring the Japanese director, and Kurosawa said that he was very moved by the touching video. Director Bong is well-known for being a fan of director Kurosawa’s works.

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa speaks during a press conference on Thursday at Shinsegae Department Store in Haeundae District, Busan. [BIFF]

“Actually, I've met director Bong a few times, and to me, he felt like a friend of mine in Korea,” he said. “But as he became incredibly famous and recognized as a world-renowned master, I started to feel like he was someone out of my reach, like a figure up in the clouds. However, when he talked about how much he loved my works and even mentioned the specific titles of them, it made me really happy because it showed me that he still thinks of me as his friend.”

Another piece, “Caught by the Tides,” by Chinese director Jia Zhangke, was also selected as a BIFF Gala Presentation film.

The film traces the love story of Qiao Qiao and Bin from the early 2000s to the present day using footage compiled since 2001. Director Jia never anticipated the project would be filmed over such a long period.

Chinese director Jia Zhangke, left, and Chinese actor Zhao Tao attend the press conference for film ″Caught by the Tides″ on Saturday held at Shinsegae Department Store in Haeundae District, Busan. [BIFF]

While storing the footage, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, prompting Jia to finally compile and complete it as a film.

“I had been holding onto the footage I filmed over a long period without using it, but when the pandemic hit, I realized I couldn't just keep it stored away any longer,” he said during a press conference held in Haeundae District on Saturday.

“During the pandemic, I felt like it marked the end of one era and the beginning of a new one,” he added. “In this time of change, I felt compelled to take the footage I had filmed, edit it and organize it.”

Chinese actor Zhao Tao, who plays the main character Qiao Qiao in the film and also is the wife of the director, shared her thoughts on participating in a film that took over 20 years to complete. “I was quite worried when I heard from the director that he was going to create ‘Caught by the Tides’ using old footage,” she said.

Still from Chinese director Jia Zhangke's film ″Caught by the Tides″ [BIFF]

“I could barely remember how I acted back then, and I was worried that a problem might be discovered,” the actor said, who also attended the press conference with director Jia, adding that she was relieved after rewatching the footage.

Alongside the two Asian auteurs, two European directors’ films were introduced under the section as well — Portuguese director Gomes’ “Grand Tour,” which follows a woman, named Molly, who tracks down her runaway fiance Edward across Asia, and French director Mazuy’s “Visiting Hours,” which follows the story and kinship of two women whose partners are inmates in the same prison.

Still from Portuguese director Miguel Gomes' film ″Grand Tour″ [BIFF]

Still from French director Patricia Mazuy's film ″Visiting Hours″ [BIFF]

“We are constantly traveling in time but can also travel through languages. I thought this was very interesting,” director Gomes said in a separate press conference held last week during the festival.

The 29th BIFF will run until Oct. 11, screening a total of 278 films during the festival period.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]