Golden Bear Honor at
Adaman: Yoo Tae-oh's "Fast Lives" Faces Defeat
Director Hong Sangsoo failed to win an award at the Berlin International Film Festival for the fourth consecutive year.
On the 25th (local time), at the closing of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival held in Berlin, Germany, Director Hong was invited to the Encounters section with his 29th feature film, "In Water," but did not receive an award.
"In Water" is a film about a young man who dreamed of becoming an actor and decides to direct a movie, traveling to an island with male and female classmates from the same school. Director Hong visited Berlin with his partner Kim Minhee, who participated as the production manager in the film. The two had jointly received the Jury Grand Prix (Silver Bear) at last year’s festival ceremony, but this year they left empty-handed.
Director Hong was first invited to the Berlin International Film Festival with "Night and Day" (2008), and until last year, he had entered the competition section six times and won four awards. He received the Silver Bear for Best Actress for "On the Beach at Night Alone" (2017, 67th edition), the Silver Bear for Best Director for "The Woman Who Ran" (2020, 70th edition), the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for "Introduction" (2021, 71st edition), and the Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix for "The Novelist’s Film" (2022, 72nd edition).
The Encounters section awards prizes such as Best Film, Best Director, and Special Awards through judging, and is distinguished from the traditional competition section. The Best Film award in this section went to "Here," directed by Bas Devos, and the Best Director award was given to Tatiana Uesoto for "The Echo."
The Golden Bear in the competition section was awarded to the documentary "Sur l'Adamant," directed by Nicolas Philibert, which deals with a daytime care facility for people with mental illnesses docked on the Seine River in Paris, France. The Silver Bear for Best Actor went to Sofia Otero, who portrayed the trans identity of an 8-year-old girl in the film "20,000 Species of Bees," directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren from Spain.
The competition section entry "Fast Lives," starring actor Yoo Taeo, was highly anticipated by local media to win an award but did not receive one.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
