Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, right, speaks during a press conference at the Culture Hall of Shinsegae Department Store's Centum City branch in Busan, Thursday. The director was chosen as the recipient of the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the ongoing Busan International Film Festival. Yonhap
BUSAN — Kiyoshi Kurosawa, one of Japan's iconic directors, praised the ongoing Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) as a miniature representation of the global film scene, highlighting his admiration for the Korean festival that provides a unique experience for the international movie industry.
"I've visited Busan several times, but this year is special as I received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the BIFF," Kurosawa said during a press conference in Busan, Thursday.
"When I attended the BIFF's opening ceremony yesterday (to receive this award), it was my first time experiencing such a grand venue and such a long red carpet. It was an incredibly enjoyable moment."
He described the BIFF as showcasing various facets of the global film scene.
"At the opening ceremony's after-party, I met creators from around the world. I met friends who came from Japan, France, Canada and Hong Kong," he said. "It reinforced my view of the BIFF as a 'microcosm of world cinema.' I'm amazed that just a 90-minute flight from Japan brings me to a place where global cinema converges."
The 69-year-old director, who debuted in 1983 with "Kandagawa Pervert Wars," gained international acclaim for his 1997 crime thriller "Cure."
He won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for "Tokyo Sonata" and received the Un Certain Regard Best Director award at Cannes in 2015 for "Journey to the Shore." In 2020, he was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the 77th Venice International Film Festival for "Wife of a Spy."
At this year's BIFF, he showcases two new films, "Serpent's Path" and "Cloud," to movie fans.
Speaking about his new works, he said, "This is the first time in my life that two of my new films are being screened at a festival. It will be an unforgettable memory. Both are typical genre films and B-movies."
Kurosawa expressed humility regarding his accolades.
"Although I've been making films for 40 years and people call me a veteran, I'm still a director without a fixed style, always thinking about how to approach my next film," he said.
"I'm 69 years old and completed two films this year. I don't think there are many 69-year-old directors who shoot two films a year. That makes me a bit different," he added.
"Serpent's Path" is a remake of his 1998 film of the same name. "The self-remake wasn't my initiative. Five years ago, a French production company asked which of my films I'd like to remake, and without hesitation, I chose 'Serpent's Path.' That's how this project began," Kurosawa explained.
His other work, "Cloud," is a thriller-action film focusing on an ordinary man (Masaki Suda) who navigates life by reselling items online.
"I wanted to make an authentic Japanese action film. Until now, Japanese action films have either been fantasies disconnected from reality or yakuza stories about people familiar with violence," the director said. "I wanted to make a different kind of action film that involves ordinary people who have no connection to violence in their daily lives."