Busan International Film Festival

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Red carpets and talent and world cinema, oh my! The 18th Annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) took place this year from October 3rd to 12th and I was wholly excited to have the festivities unfolding around me (I work around the corner from the Busan Cinema Centre, the essential headquarters of BIFF) and to experience my first ever film festival.

The first film viewing I attended was a South African film titled Durban Poison, at the CGV Theatre in Shinsegae. Given that the ticket was purchased for me last minute, I didn’t have much time to research the film or director, so I walked into the dim theatre with no expectations. This ended up working in my favour because I wasn’t disappointed (just annoyed) when the film turned out to be a colossal waste of my time. The premise was simple enough: a gangster and a prostitute fall in love, take to the open road, commit some brutally heinous crimes, are arrested, and then retell their story to the police officer on the case. The film is told in a non-linear fashion, which I normally love (hello, LOST, anyone?) but in this case, many of the flashback scenes felt superfluous and seemed to drag out the relatively short 94 minute film. I began to expect a slow build-up with a big payoff at the end, but it never arrived.

As a rule of thumb, if I’m thinking about all of the things I could have accomplished in lieu of watching a film while the credits roll, it’s safe to say I won’t recommend it to others. I scoffed at the notion of staying for the panel discussion after the film finished, but was told that the director, Andrew Worsdale, seemed slightly intoxicated, inarticulate, and almost bored with his own work. I can’t say I blame him on the intoxication front – had the concession stand offered super-sized flasks, I likely would have purchased two and stolen my neighbour’s cup holder for the occasion.

Final thoughts on Durban Poison: Whoever claimed that this film was reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde needs their head examined. If I hadn’t been amongst mixed company, I would have left the theatre about 25 minutes in. It’s not even worth the effort to give a double thumbs down. Spend your money on Cass and double fist instead.

Determined to not feel slighted so early into BIFF’s run, I began searching for a suspenseful thriller. I opted for a thriller because I wanted a film in stark contrast to Durban Poison – a quick, unpredictable pace; a protagonist whose well-being I actually cared about; and the potential to cause me actual stress (all the best movies can do this – read: Argo and Gravity). Eventually, I settled upon a South Korean film, Intruders, by the acclaimed Korean director Noh Youngseok. His first film, a comedy titled Daytime Drinking, was hugely popular in Korea in 2008, and I was intrigued to see how a popular comedy director’s style would translate into a thriller. I eagerly purchased a ticket for the film showing at the Busan Cinema Centre on the second Thursday of the festival.

The premise of Intruders was a simple murder mystery. The protagonist, a 30something year old writer from Seoul travels to a quiet, remote cabin to finish a script, but instead has a few disturbing run-ins with some locals and later houses a group of (wholly unsympathetic) skiers. After a member of the ski troupe is savagely gutted, the film becomes a heart-racing, hands-over-your-face, jump from your seat whodunnit. The film was incredibly well-paced, often hilarious, and totally unpredictable, capturing and holding my attention for the entire time. Once the film concluded, I had an intense feeling of satisfaction. I excitedly stayed for the panel discussion and along with two other English foreigners, was graciously provided with a translator (the panel was conducted in Korean). The director acknowledged that the film was a vast departure from his freshman effort, and revealed that Intruders was inspired by events in his own life. The panel was super informative and I wish I had been brave enough to ask a question, but I left the theatre excited that my entire BIFF experience had not been a total bust.

Final thoughts on Intruders: Filled with lots of foreshadowing and red herrings, Intruders is evocative of a Hitchcock film or an Agatha Christie novel. The perfect balance of comedy and terror, this gripping thriller is not recommended for those who have recently chugged a 2.0L water bottle – you will not want to leave to relieve yourself. See this film when you can (but good luck because it is not online anywhere)!

My experience with BIFF was slightly hot and cold given that I was only able to watch two films, but I don’t feel as though my experiences were necessarily unique. Film festivals will always need to fill screens and seats, and not every filmmaker will be able to churn out a film that every person will enjoy. There were some disappointments (anticipated films such as The Fifth Estate and Prince Avalanche selling out in minutes, only being able to purchase tickets in person for film showings on that day, an apparent lack of evening screenings, etc.) but overall, BIFF offered great exposure to how directors from other countries approach and deconstruct the film genres of the day and was a great excuse to watch something other than The Perks of Being A Wallflower on my laptop.

18th Annual BIFF Recap:

Durban Poison (South Africa): 1 star (★)
Intruders (South Korea): 5 stars (★★★★★)

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) occurs every year during the first and second week of October at select theatres throughout Centum City (Line 2, stop 206) and Haeundae-gu, Busan.