Bong Joon-ho is no stranger to controversy, having poked fun at the government, military, social classes and discrimination through his previous works.

Now the acclaimed director is in the hot seat again as his film “Okja” raises questions about the morality of the meat production system in modern society.

“Humanity has consumed meat for ages, but we’ve ate what we needed and animals lived natural lives prior to (the) rise of capitalism,” he said during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, where his film was premiered. “Now animals are part of a production system. They are raised in pain and are dismembered quickly with metal machines.

Director Bong Joon-ho (right) poses with actress Ahn Seo-hyun on Friday in Cannes, France. (Yonhap)

“This is not for people’s survival, but for money. This is the message the movie is trying to convey.”

“Okja” is a story about a massive animal produced by a multinational company to address food shortage.

The creature Okja, which resembles a mix of a pig, hippo, elephant and manatee, was created to portray the ultimate victim. “I wanted to make an animal which looks as if it is most shy and gentle, and would just take all the attacks from others,” Bong said.

The director said that his new movie would give people a chance to rethink the relationship between animals and humans. It would also shed light on both the beautiful and ugly aspects of how people treat animals.

The film follows a young girl, Mija, played by Ahn Seo-hyun, who befriends the beast and attempts to retrieve it from the clutches of corporate powers.

Mija and Okja are an unusual pair, who mirror each other with an odd contrast.

“Mija is a girl of the mountains. Okja is an animal with a human side, while Mija is a human with an animal side. She can charge like an animal when needed and I wanted to give a feeling that not even large corporates can stop her,” Bong said.

“There are three groups in the movie: Mija who looks at Okja as a family; a group that looks at her as a product; and a group that seeks to realize its ideals about animals,” he said.

The film’s journey to Cannes was riddled with obstacles and disputes, from its production to an invitation to the world-renowned film festival.

“Many of the (production) studios with progressive views were hesitant over the budget, and bigger, more ‘traditional’ studios were hesitant over the scenario that includes a slaughter house and forced breeding. Some suggested to make a ‘beautiful’ movie like E.T.,” he said.

Bong said Netflix gave him carte blanche, adding its support had allowed him to make this movie. “They told me the scenario was very good, and they didn’t need to change one word. They said the movie can be bloody, have adult content or even have ‘an F-word’,” he said.

The screening of “Okja” has sparked off major controversy, with traditionalists taking issue with a film released almost exclusively online being invited to the film festival. Following the dispute, the festival organizers announced that from next year, any film that screens in competition would first have to commit to showing in French cinemas.

Pedro Almodovar, head of the Cannes jury, further fueled the debate by saying that he “he could not imagine” either “Okja” or the other Netflix film “The Meyerowitz Stories” winning anything. However, he backed down Friday, vowing that all films would be judged fairly.

Bong said that he did not care about the comment and that he agreed “100 percent” that visiting a theater presents the best movie experience. He has emphasized that he does not think introduction of platforms like Netflix would be detrimental to the theater industry.

“Okja” is set for international release on Netflix on June 29, Korea time, in 190 countries around the world. Only Korea, the US and the UK will have theatrical releases. Its cast includes Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeunn, Byun Hee-bong and Tilda Swington, who played the role of “Minister Mason” in Bong’s critically-acclaimed “Snowpiercer.”

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)