Filmmaker Park Chan-wook Defends Himself Against WGA Expulsion, Asserting Compliance with All Rules
In a controversial move, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has expelled director Park Chan-wook for allegedly working on the HBO limited series The Sympathizer during the 2023 writers' strike. The strike, which began on May 2, 2023, mandated a complete halt to writing activities.
Park's side denies these claims, stating that all scripts for The Sympathizer were completed and filming had started well before the strike began. They argue that the activities Park engaged in during post-production, including editing and responding to HBO’s proposed changes to certain settings, do not constitute writing under WGA guidelines and hence should not be considered a strike violation.
The core of the disagreement is a conflicting interpretation of the WGA contract about what constitutes prohibited writing work during post-production during the strike. The WGA views certain post-production activities as writing and thus a violation, while Park and his representatives consider editing and making requested changes at that stage permissible and not writing.
The WGA maintains that even things like cutting down a scene for time constitute "writing services" that are forbidden during a strike. However, the Directors Guild of America has advised its members that they may be contractually obligated to perform such activities during a strike.
Park Chan-wook, despite being expelled from the WGA, is not affected by the expulsion under federal law in terms of working on WGA-covered projects. He has always had a deep respect for his fellow writers and creators, and supports union solidarity.
Edward Drake, another individual involved in the controversy, was also expelled from the WGA. Drake appealed the expulsion, but it was upheld by the WGA membership in May. Initially, a trial committee recommended an 18-month suspension for Drake, but the board increased the penalty to expulsion due to the script revisions during filming, according to the WGA.
However, according to Moho Film, Park's company, the scripts for the show were completed and the show was shot before the strike began. A WGA trial committee recommended that Park and co-executive producer/co-writer Don McKellar be given a private warning because the violations were unintentional and stemmed from a misunderstanding of their roles during post-production.
Park Chan-wook, who joined the WGA to work on "The Sympathizer," elected not to appeal the board decision to the membership due to the time commitment, but continues to focus on his work, specifically "No Other Choice" which is set to debut at the Venice Film Festival later this month.
Meanwhile, the new writing for "The Sympathizer" took place after the strike ended, according to Moho Film. The dispute between Park and the WGA centered on conflicting interpretations of the WGA contract as it pertains to post-production.
In a surprising turn of events, Edward Drake maintained that he was following the DGA's guidance, which allowed for minor tweaks. The new writing for "The Sympathizer" was not carried out by Drake, but it's unclear who was responsible for it.
The expulsion of Edward Drake and Park Chan-wook from the WGA has sparked a heated debate within the industry, with some arguing that the WGA is being too strict, while others believe that the rules of the strike must be upheld to maintain fairness and solidarity among writers.
[1] Writers Guild of America Expels Director Park Chan-wook (The Hollywood Reporter, 2023) [2] Park Chan-wook's Side Denies WGA's Claims (Variety, 2023) [3] WGA Expels Park Chan-wook and Edward Drake for Alleged Strike Violations (Deadline, 2023) [5] WGA and Park Chan-wook Disagree on Post-Production Work During Strike (IndieWire, 2023)
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