BIFF jury advocates creative freedom amid 'The Assassin(s)' controversy

Zhang Yimou and fellow BIFF jury members advocated artistic freedom in Busan on Wednesday amid controversy over The Assassin(s). Zhang said films should not be bound strictly to historical facts, while July Jung warned that backlash can intimidate filmmakers. Conservative groups have accused the film of historical distortion and filed a defamation complaint. BIFF’s seven-member jury will evaluate 14 films for the Busan Award.

The Assassin(s)) dramatizes the 1974 assassination of then-first lady Yuk Young-soo, wife of former President Park Chung-hee.

Zhang Yimou said he had not watched The Assassin(s) but was aware of the public debate surrounding it.

Conservative groups’ defamation complaint prompted police investigations and calls for screenings to be canceled.

BIFF’s main competition section was created to highlight outstanding Asian films and entered its second year.

The jury includes Zhang Yimou, July Jung, Bi Gan, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, Kei Ishikawa, Choi Hee-seo and Samal Yeslyamova.

Published Oct 7, 2026 2:52 pm KST

Updated Oct 7, 2026 3:12 pm KST

Filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who serves as jury president of the 31st Busan International Film Festival's Competition Section, speaks during a press conference at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap

BUSAN — Renowned film director Zhang Yimou and fellow jury members of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) called for the protection of artistic freedom on Wednesday, addressing the fierce controversy surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)."

Zhang, known for such movies as "Red Sorghum" (1988), "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991) and "Not One Less" (1999), serves as jury president of BIFF’s competition section. He weighed in on the boundary between historical fact and artistic interpretation.

"Creation is creation," Zhang said during a press conference, stressing that creative works should not be bound strictly to historical facts.

"Even historical truth itself can often be a subject of debate. Movies serve as an artistic medium that conveys stories from the past to people living today. Viewers may interpret a film differently, and some may disagree with other opinions, but that diversity of perspective is precisely where the charm of cinema lies."

Although Zhang acknowledged that he has not yet watched "The Assassin(s)," he said he was aware of the public debate surrounding the work.

The film dramatizes the 1974 assassination of then-first lady Yuk Young-soo, the wife of former President Park Chung-hee.

The movie has drawn sharp criticism from conservative political circles and civic groups, which accuse the production of distorting historical truth by suggesting alternative theories behind the tragic event.

The controversy escalated into legal action when conservative groups filed a defamation complaint against the filmmakers, prompting police investigations and calls for screenings to be canceled.

'The Assassin(s)' lead actor vows firm response to protesters outside his home

Film guilds ask for healthy debate on 'The Assassin(s)' without targeting filmmakers

Korean director July Jung, who serves on the main competition jury alongside Zhang, reflected on the heavy psychological pressure currently felt by filmmakers.

"A film is ultimately a work of fiction," Jung said. "When I create my own movies, my belief that cinema is an artistic creation has never wavered. However, seeing the recent backlash makes me feel quite intimidated as a director, even though I did not direct this particular film."

Jung added that while creators must take full responsibility for the cinematic worlds they build, they should also be allowed to continue sharing their artistic vision with audiences.

"No matter where a story originates, filmmakers bear full responsibility for what they create," Jung said. "We make movies with the expectation that audiences will offer both praise and criticism. I hope filmmakers can continue to work in an environment where diverse opinions are welcomed."

Jury members of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, from left, Zhang Yimou, Bi Gan, July Jung, Samal Yeslyamova, Kei Ishikawa, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc and Choi Hee-seo, pose during a press conference at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap Yonhap

Chinese director Bi Gan, another member of the jury, shared his criteria for judging films in competition while emphasizing the power of bold expression.

"A good film is hard to define in a single sentence, but bad ones can be felt instinctively," Bi said. "When evaluating competition films, I look for works that are bold, break through barriers and express emotions without hesitation while connecting human feelings."

Bi added that the addition of the competition section enhances the festival's significance. "The competition section allows us to bring diverse works into a broader context and spark meaningful discussions about cinema," he said.

Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc highlighted the vital role of BIFF as a platform for supporting emerging filmmakers and expanding the reach of Asian cinema.

"BIFF provides a crucial opportunity to bridge cultural and economic gaps for filmmakers across the region," Tran said. "With the rapid growth of Asian cinema and new technologies emerging, introducing competition sections meets the growing demand to amplify the voices of a new generation of Asian storytellers."

This year marks the second year of BIFF's main competition section, which was created to highlight outstanding Asian films.

A panel of seven jury members, including Zhang, Jung, Bi, Tran, Japanese director Kei Ishikawa, Korean actor Choi Hee-seo and Kazakh actor Samal Yeslyamova, will evaluate 14 entries competing for the Busan Award.

Returning to Busan after several years, Zhang expressed his deep affection for the festival and its growing international presence.

"I am delighted to return to Busan and take part in this important festival," Zhang said. "BIFF has grown into a crucial platform for Asian cinema, attracting global attention. I hope Asian film festivals, including those in Busan, Beijing and Tokyo, continue to thrive together so that audiences worldwide can discover more great movies from Asia."

周三，在釜山电影节上，张艺谋和其他几位评审团成员就电影《刺客》引发的争议，力挺艺术自由。张艺谋表示，电影不应拘泥于历史事实，而郑秀妍则警告说，舆论反弹可能会吓倒电影人。保守派团体指责该片歪曲历史，并提起诽谤诉讼。釜山电影节的七人评审团将对14部影片进行评选，最终角逐釜山电影奖。

《刺客》戏剧化地展现了 1974 年韩国第一夫人柳英秀（前总统朴正熙的妻子）遇刺身亡的事件。

张艺谋表示他没有看过《刺客》，但知道围绕这部电影的公众讨论。

保守派团体提出的诽谤投诉引发了警方调查，并导致人们呼吁取消放映活动。

釜山国际电影节的主竞赛单元旨在展示优秀的亚洲电影，今年已是第二届。

评审团成员包括张艺谋、July Jung、Bi Gan、Tran Thi Bich Ngoc、Kei Ishikawa、Choi Hee-seo 和 Samal Yeslyamova。

发布于2026年10月7日下午2:52（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月7日下午3:12（韩国标准时间）

担任第31届釜山国际电影节竞赛单元评委会主席的导演张艺谋周三在釜山电影中心举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话。（韩联社）

釜山——著名电影导演张艺谋和第31届釜山国际电影节（BIFF）的其他评委周三呼吁保护艺术自由，以回应围绕电影《刺客》的激烈争议。

张艺谋以《红高粱》（1988）、《大红灯笼高高挂》（1991）和《一个都不能少》（1999）等影片而闻名，担任釜山国际电影节竞赛单元的评委会主席。他谈到了历史事实与艺术诠释之间的界限。

张在新闻发布会上表示：“创作就是创作”，强调创作作品不应严格遵循历史事实。

“即使是历史真相本身也常常是争论的焦点。电影作为一种艺术媒介，将过去的故事传递给当今的人们。观众对电影的解读可能各不相同，有些人可能不同意其他人的观点，但这种视角的多样性恰恰是电影的魅力所在。”

尽管张承认自己还没有看过《刺客》，但他表示自己了解围绕这部作品的公众讨论。

这部电影戏剧化地展现了1974年时任第一夫人柳英秀（前总统朴正熙的妻子）遇刺身亡的事件。

这部电影遭到了保守派政治圈和公民团体的强烈批评，他们指责该片歪曲历史真相，提出了关于这起悲剧事件的另类理论。

这场争议升级为法律诉讼，保守派团体对电影制作人提起诽谤诉讼，引发警方调查，并导致人们呼吁取消放映。

《刺客》主演誓言对在其家门外的抗议者做出强硬回应

电影协会呼吁就《刺客》展开理性讨论，不要针对电影制作人。

与张艺谋一同担任主竞赛单元评委的韩国导演郑朱莉反思了电影人目前所感受到的巨大心理压力。

荣格说：“电影归根结底是一种虚构作品。我创作电影时，始终坚信电影是一种艺术创作。然而，看到最近的负面评价，让我这个导演感到相当不安，尽管这部电影并非我执导。”

荣格补充说，虽然创作者必须对他们构建的电影世界负全部责任，但也应该允许他们继续与观众分享他们的艺术愿景。

郑秀晶说：“无论故事源自何处，电影人都要对自己的作品负全部责任。我们拍电影，就是希望观众既能给予赞扬，也能提出批评。我希望电影人能够继续在一个欢迎多元意见的环境中工作。”

第31届釜山国际电影节评审团成员，从左至右依次为：张艺谋、毕赣、郑朱莉、萨玛尔·叶斯利亚莫娃、石川圭、陈氏碧玉和崔熙瑞，周三在釜山电影中心举行的新闻发布会上合影。（韩联社）

另一位评委，中国导演毕赣，分享了他评判竞赛影片的标准，同时强调了大胆表达的力量。

“一部好电影很难用一句话来定义，但一部烂电影却能凭直觉感受到，”毕晓明说。“在评价竞赛影片时，我寻找的是那些大胆创新、突破常规、毫不犹豫地表达情感并能引起人们共鸣的作品。”

毕先生补充说，竞赛单元的设立提升了电影节的重要性。“竞赛单元让我们能够将不同类型的作品置于更广阔的语境中，并引发关于电影的有意义的讨论。”他说。

越南制片人陈氏碧玉强调了釜山国际电影节作为支持新兴电影人和扩大亚洲电影影响力的平台所发挥的重要作用。

“釜山国际电影节为弥合亚洲地区电影人之间的文化和经济差距提供了一个至关重要的机会，”陈先生表示。“随着亚洲电影的快速发展和新技术的涌现，设立竞赛单元能够满足日益增长的需求，让新一代亚洲电影人的声音得以被更多人听到。”

今年是釜山国际电影节主竞赛单元举办的第二年，该单元旨在表彰优秀的亚洲电影。

由张、郑、毕、陈、日本导演石川圭、韩国演员崔熙瑞和哈萨克斯坦演员萨玛尔·叶斯利亚莫娃等七名评委组成的评审团，将对角逐釜山电影奖的 14 部作品进行评选。

张在阔别釜山数年后重返釜山，表达了他对釜山电影节及其日益增长的国际影响力的深厚感情。

张艺谋表示：“我很高兴能重返釜山，参加这个重要的电影节。釜山国际电影节已经发展成为亚洲电影的重要平台，吸引了全球的目光。我希望包括釜山、北京和东京在内的亚洲电影节能够继续蓬勃发展，让世界各地的观众都能发现更多来自亚洲的优秀电影。”