Park Chan-wook directed No Other Choice receives 6 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival

Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Sung-min joined Park on stage as part of the ensemble cast, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Park Chan-wook, a well-known South Korean filmmaker, triumphantly returned to the Venice Film Festival, where his most recent film, No Other Choice, was warmly received.

The movie received a six- to eight-minute standing ovation from the audience at the world premiere, which took place at Venice's esteemed Sala Grande. This made the film an early standout contender in the festival lineup.

Starring the well-known actor Lee Byung-hun and based on the novel The Axe, the film has been officially added to the Venezia 82 Competition slate, demonstrating its strong Golden Lion aspirations from the very first public screening.

As the credits rolled at around 12:30 a.m., Park took in the roaring applause and thanked the crowd profusely by embracing, bowing, and waving at every member of his cast in attendance.

Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Sung-min joined Park on stage as part of the ensemble cast, adding to the festive atmosphere. The crowd cheered and applauded for six minutes in a row before a spontaneous shout of "Bravo!" triggered another, shorter burst of clapping and hollering.

Wowww Park Chan-Wook’s NO OTHER CHOICE is a total banger. Edge of seat, pitch black comedy about a paper factory manager who gets fired after 25 years and has “no other choice” but to wage war for his family. Can see it getting best pic, actor, actress noms #VeniceFilmFestival pic.twitter.com/dSah5vCprt

— Jada Yuan (@jadabird) August 29, 2025

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No Other Choice tells the story of a middle-aged man who, after losing his job, goes to great lengths to find work. The story is incredibly poignant, illuminating the hardships of job insecurity and the extent people will go to in order to survive in a challenging economic environment.

Park disclosed that the project had been planned for twenty years and had been repeatedly delayed because of financial limitations. However, he emphasized that the themes at its core—workplace instability, desperation, and human resilience—remain timeless and universally relevant.