[Opinion] Busan; Cinema Paradiso
The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) is a dramatic example of how culture can change an image and status of a city.
No one in 1996, when the festival started, expected that this festival would be hailed as the phenomenal success we see it now. The PIFF firmly situated itself as the most prominent film festival in Asia and now it is on the way to becoming one of the worlds five most prestigious festivals.
Busan, once only remembered as the culturally-void second largest city of Korea, has put itself on map as an undisputable Cine City of Asia.
Many Korean film directors, such as Im Gwon-taek, Lee Chang-dong, Gang Je-gyu, Kim Gi-duk, and Korean actors including Ahn Sung-gi, Gang Soo-yeon, Jang Mi-hee, Lee Young-ae, Lee Eun-joo and Yang Dong-geun, attended the opening ceremony in an outdoor stage at Suyoung Bay (Suyoung-man in Korean), Busan on October 7. Fans in the festival sent loud cheers for the famous directors and actors who appeared on the red carpet, and some fans spent the night talking about films at numerous bars around the white sand beach of Haeundae and in Nampodong.
The PIFF has been a nurturing ground for Korean cinema and contributed greatly to its current success in the international film scene (of winning a series of international film awards) by offering Korean film makers chances to network with international film luminaries and developing diplomatic channels. -
What are the secrets of success for the PIFF? Among many things, we can first count the leadership of Kim Dong-ho, the festival director, and the commitment of the Korean film insiders such as Park Gwang-soo, Lee Young-Gwan, Kim Ji-suk, and Jun Yang-joon. Also, no intervention from the government administrative office and the strict post evaluation and management after each festival have contributed to the festivals success. However, the most important secret of success is that the PIFF has allowed the films and the film makers to be the hosts of the festival. This is an amazing leap from other festivals in Korea in which politicians and the local government officers are the main guests of honor, giving meaningless congratulatory addresses. In a word, the PIFF is now in a totally different elevated dimension from festivals in other areas.
Politicians can not become main guests of honor in this years Pusan International Film Festival, either. Many politicians, including the leading partys chairperson and the Minister of Culture and Tourism, assemblymen belonging to the Culture and Tourism Committee, and local politicians, showed up to the festival opening and the reception, but none of them could make it to the podium.
The PIFFs no politician tradition takes no one as an exception. The tradition was set ever since the two presidential candidates arrived in Busan for the festival in a one day interval and requested to give a greeting from the podium, but the festival (committee) firmly rejected their requests many years ago.
The PIFF has been proving that people, their passion for the cause, and the local residents cooperation and devotion beat money and resources when it comes to cultural affairs.
Oh Myoung-chul, Editorial writer, oscar@donga.com
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