Hong Sangsoo Wins Best Director at Berlin Film Festival for 'Domangchin Yeoja'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jonggil Lee] Director Hong Sangsoo won the Best Director Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for his film Introduction.

Director Hong received the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, which closed on the 29th (local time). This achievement marks his fourth entry into the competition section of the festival. His previous competition films were Night and Day (2008), Our Sunhi (2013), and On the Beach at Night Alone (2017). Kim Minhee, who starred in On the Beach at Night Alone, won the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

When Director Hong's name was announced, he shared a warm embrace with his partner Kim Minhee. He then went on stage to greet the jury, saying, "I want to thank everyone. I am grateful to those who worked for me and the festival staff." He added, "If you allow, I hope the actresses will stand and receive applause," drawing applause for lead actresses Kim Minhee and Seo Younghwa.

With this, the number of trophies Director Hong's works have won at the world's three major film festivals?Cannes, Berlin, and Venice?increased to four. In 1998, The Power of Kangwon Province received a Special Mention in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, and in 2010, Ha Ha Ha won the top prize in that section.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Introduction is Director Hong's twenty-fourth feature film. The story follows a wife who meets past friends through two scheduled meetings and one chance encounter after her husband, with whom she had never lived apart since marriage, leaves on a business trip. The cast includes Kim Minhee, Song Sunmi, Seo Younghwa, Kim Saebyuk, and Kwon Hae-hyo.

The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival's world premiere and received favorable reviews. It scored a relatively high 2.7 in the ratings compiled by the festival newsletter Screen Daily, and achieved a 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which reflects evaluations from international media.

Meanwhile, the top prize, the Golden Bear, was awarded to Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil. The Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix went to American director Eliza Hittman for Never Rarely Sometimes Always. The Silver Bear for Best Actor was awarded to Elio Germano for Hidden Away, and the Silver Bear for Best Actress went to Paula Beer for Undine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.