South Korea: Busan, stronghold of Asian cinema
The 27th edition of the Busan International Film Festival takes place from October 5 to 14, 2022. © RFI/Nicolas Rocca
Text by: Nicolas Rocca Follow
6 mins
From October 5 to 14, the 27th edition of the Busan International Film Festival takes place, the second city of South Korea.
An event that has grown considerably in the image of South Korean cinema, whose success goes far beyond the borders of the Asian continent.
This place, which has become central, attracts directors, actors, producers and distributors thanks to a specific strategy and a special relationship with platforms.
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“Everyone is there, all Asian cinema is here, you just have to walk the streets to realize it”.
Serge Toubiana, president of the jury for the
New Currents
category of the festival (the most prestigious) and president of Unifrance, is aware of the importance taken by Busan in just over two decades of existence.
"It
's the biggest cinema market on the continent
, it's overtaken Hong Kong and Tokyo."
A boom due in particular to the explosion of South Korean films on the international scene and the smooth functioning of the industry, but also to circumstances.
Since the return of the former British protectorate to Chinese rule, the festival has lost its luster.
“In China, there is control over intellectual property, censorship.
While here, we have no limits in terms of creativity, so we have a key role in Asia
,” said Jung Han-seok, the festival's programmer.
And then Busan, benefited from the support of the local authorities who very quickly wanted to make the city a stronghold of cinema on the continent.
“What makes it special is the investment, from the start everything was very luxurious
, recalls Antoine Coppola, specialist in South Korean cinema, present during the first edition in 1996.
The mayor of Busan, a very important political figure in the country, immediately wanted to develop the festival.
“
A concordance of events that attracts, 27 years later, celebrities from around the world.
"Great Film Fair"
However, the selection does not seem to be at the heart of the concerns of the actors, directors and producers who made the trip to the South Korean cruise.
Because in parallel with the screenings, the film market takes place, where the rights are bought, the works are sold and the co-productions for the years to come are decided.
Like
Ajooma
, produced between Singapore and Seoul, selected this year in the
New Currents category,
which rewards first or second films.
"It's the most important festival in my eyes, where all the directors from Asia come together,
" says He Shuming, the director.
I have come many times, to find funding or present short films.
So premiering my first film here feels like home.
If the festival
is different from Cannes or Berlin, it is because unlike these European giants, it is difficult for Busan to reserve world exclusives.
“Selection has never been at the heart of the festival, it's more of a market festival,
” explains Antoine Coppola.
It is difficult to find a guideline to the selection that focuses mainly on Asian cinema
,
it should rather be seen as a great cinema fair, and also the opportunity for the South Korean public to discover foreign films”.
And the figures confirm the words of the professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul.
353 films are shown in twelve days, from 71 different countries, although only Asian films take part in the official selection.
Changing industry
“The industry has suffered enormously from the pandemic, so this year I wanted to highlight the work of auteur films and independent films which have been particularly affected,”
says Jung Han-seok.
Because this 27th edition is that of the return to normal.
In 2021 and 2021, the BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) was held online and the following year with half-empty halls.
A year later, the atmosphere is completely different and the public is back in the aisles of the Busan cinema centre;
this super modern installation where outdoor projections, hyper modern room, red carpet and signing session cohabit.
The spectators filled the halls, which were often packed this year, where only the masks barred the smiles of the thousands of moviegoers present for the occasion.
However, contrary to what the planetary successes of some of its productions in recent years ( Parasite, Squid Game, Hellbound)
might suggest , the
South Korean film industry has emerged very weakened from the pandemic.
In 2021, the sector had recorded a 60% loss compared to 2019, according to data from the Korea Film Council.
“It is still the same companies that dominate the market, CJ and Lotte, but they have lost spectators,
analyzes Antoine Coppola
.
For example, during the Chuseok (traditional festival) holiday, blockbusters recorded six to seven million admissions.
Which isn't bad, but before it was ten million.
»
An audience left in particular for platforms, American and South Korean.
Like Netflix, whose presence in Busan is no longer limited to behind the scenes.
Selected platforms
On the edge of the imposing cinema center, a café in the red and black colors of the American company symbolizes the importance taken by the platform within the largest film festival in Asia.
But Busan is just a reflection of the industry.
“It's time to accept the platforms within the festival.
Last year we started selecting them, there were three works.
There are nine this year.
Reminds Jung Han-seok.
The directors, the producers and especially the public expected this, I think.
»
But for now, the contents of Amazon and Netflix are not yet in competition with other films.
A specific category is reserved for them:
On screen.
With the exception of Lars Von Trier's
Kingdom Exodus series,
these are Asian productions, all screened as world premieres in Busan.
But the novelty of the 2022 edition is
20th Century Girl.
A film produced by Netflix whose preview takes place at the festival before ending up on the platform at the end of the month.
No wonder when you know that the platform has invested nearly 500 million dollars in South Korean fiction in 2021.
“When Netflix wanted to establish itself, it took two years.
There were long negotiations, and the platform remunerates Internet access providers and other players like Naver (Korea's leading web portal),
explains Antoine Coppola.
But now, South Koreans, Americans, everyone finds interest in Netflix's presence here.
With such proximity, it 's
hard not to see the platforms invade the main showcase of South Korean and Asian cinema.
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