#ISUPPORTBIFF_LEE Sang-il 이상일
I'm Lee Sang-il, a filmmaker. It is a personal story but the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is where my first-directed film was internationally screened and has invited my film more than 10 times since then. For this, born and grown up in Japan, I have a great affection for , even it is a representative image of Korea for me. I believe Busan IFF has got me to grow in terms of my films. It is a sign from the social ills of the time when a government or those who have political authority put pressure on the freedom of expression. I think this is why Korean filmmakers and cineastes are trying their best not to aggravate those ills at the moment. It would be same as in Japan. Freedom of expression is not a matter of creators their own. It is also very important and meaningful for those who see and deliver what they see and think to someone elses. In my opinion, right freedom and right expression comes out whenever people resist this kind of political pressure with all their might. I want to support BIFF to keep pursuing what it believes and standing up to suppression even in Japan.
