Director Hong Sangsoo's New Film 'Suyucheon' Wins Best Actor Award at Locarno Film Festival
Actress Kim Min-hee received the Best Actress Award on the 17th (local time) at the Locarno International Film Festival, one of the world's six major film festivals, for director Hong Sang-soo's new film "Suyucheon."
On this day, Kim Min-hee was announced as one of the Best Actress Award winners at the awards ceremony held in Locarno, Switzerland. After stepping onto the stage, she expressed her gratitude to the festival organizers and smiled, saying, "I wanted to shoot for a long time, but five days was too short."
She continued, "I thank the actors who worked with me and the audience who watched the film and gave warm words. I am very grateful to actors Kwon Hae-hyo and Jo Yoon-hee who worked with me. I want to share this award with them." She added, "Director Hong Sang-soo, who made such a beautiful film, I love your films so much. Thank you so much for letting me work with you."
Director Hong's 32nd feature film "Suyucheon" was officially invited to the international competition section of the Locarno Film Festival. "Suyucheon" depicts the story of a female university lecturer who asks her uncle, who has been unable to work for several years, to direct a farce. The cast includes Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Jo Yoon-hee, and Ha Sung-guk.
Actor Kim Min-hee is expressing her acceptance speech for the Best Actress Award at the 77th Locarno International Film Festival held in Locarno, Switzerland, on the 17th (local time). [Photo by Locarno International Film Festival Official YouTube Capture]
Director Hong continued his relationship with the Locarno Film Festival by being invited for the fourth time, following "Our Sunhi" (2013), "Right Now, Wrong Then" (2015), and "Hotel by the River" (2018).
Four actors from the Lithuanian-Latvian co-production film "Dry Drowning" also received the Best Actor Award alongside Kim Min-hee. Since last year, the Locarno Film Festival has changed the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards to gender-neutral, awarding the Best Actor Award to actors from two winning films. The top prize in the international competition section, the Golden Leopard, went to "Toxic," the debut film of Lithuanian director Saul? Bliuvait?.
Actor Kim Min-hee (right) poses on the 17th (local time) at the 77th Locarno Film Festival after receiving the Best Actress Award for director Hong Sang-soo's film "Suyucheon." [Photo by EPA]
Kim Min-hee was cast as a fashion magazine model in her first year of high school in 1998, debuting in the entertainment industry. In 2008, she won the Best Actress Award in the film category at the 44th Baeksang Arts Awards for the film "Lovers of Six Years." She has also been recognized for box office success with films such as "Helpless" and "The Handmaiden." In February 2017, at the Berlin International Film Festival, she became the first Korean actress to win the Silver Bear for Best Actress for director Hong Sang-soo's "On the Beach at Night Alone."
Kim Min-hee developed a romantic relationship with director Hong Sang-soo through the 2015 film "Right Now, Wrong Then." They officially acknowledged their relationship two years later. Since then, she has only appeared in Hong's films.
Meanwhile, "Suyucheon" premiered worldwide at the Locarno Film Festival and is scheduled for domestic release in the second half of this year.
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