Now on his twentieth film South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk has chosen Venice Days for the international debut of his latest effort, “One on One” (original title, Il-dae-il), which has just come out in South Korea. Anticipation for this new film is running high, just one year after the director’s Moebius, one of the most controversial premieres at last year’s Venice Film Festival.

Already dubbed a trauma film due to its violent imagery and its down and dirty feel, “One on One” has a storyline steeped in mystery: a female student is kidnapped, raped and killed. Seven members of the Shadows Sect stalk the seven people suspected of committing the crime, hunting down the killer.

Starring the South Korean star Ma Dong-seok (“The Good, the Bad, the Weird”) as the leader of the Shadows, as well as Kim Yeong-min, “One on One” is set to open the upcoming Venice Days, the Venice Film Festival’s independent sidebar that’s supported by Italian filmmakers’ associations.

“We are very honored that Kim Ki-duk and his producers have chosen our showcase,” declares Venice Days head Giorgio Gosetti, “because his films, as extreme as they get, nicely represent the spirit of our section, which rewards courage and creativity. And we also consider the director a ‘friend of the family’ after he opted to celebrate his Golden Lion for Pieta at our own Villa degli Autori.”

THIS YEAR’s Venice Days will take place during August 27-September 6.