| Festival director Dieter Kosslick, Milena Canonero awarded with Honorary Golden Bear, Korean actress Kim Min-hee awarded with the Silver Bear award for best actress, Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi awarded with the Golden Bear for Best Film, President of the jury, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven and Member of the jury, Chinese director Wang Quan'an pose after the Award Ceremony of the 67th Berlinale film festival in Berlin, Saturday. / AFP-Yonhap |
By Kim Jae-heun
Korean actress Kim Min-hee won the best actress award at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, Saturday.
Kim is the first Korean to win the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlinale, and was awarded it for her role in Hong Sang-soo's "On the Beach at Night Alone," defeating 17 other candidates. The Silver Bear is second most honored prize after the Golden Bear.
"This film will hopefully bring great emotion to those who see it and therefore I am very proud of it," said Kim during her acceptance speech.
"Thanks go out to the crew and to everyone who contributed in making this film. I received a star studded gift tonight, thank you very much to the jury. The award I received here and the happiness that I feel are all thanks to Hong Sang-soo, the director of the film. I honor you and I love you," said Kim.
The actress's achievement is notable as no Korean has won a top award at a European film festival over the past 10 years since Jeon Do-yeon clinched the best actress prize in the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for her performance in director Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine."
Kang Soo-yeon won the international prize as the first Korean actress to be awarded the Volpi Cup Best Actress award at the 1987 Venice International Film Festival in director Im Kwon-taek's "The Surrogate Woman."
However, criticism in Korea is still rampant as Kim did not clarify her relationship with Hong, who reportedly left his wife and children to live with Kim last June. Hong filed for divorce in November, but his wife refused to accept it.
The two appeared in the public for the first time officially at a news conference for the film festival, Thursday, but did not confirm anything about their relationship. The couple was spotted being affectionate to each other at the festival.
The story of Hong's new movie frustrates Koreans even more as it appears very similar to what possibly happened between the director and the actress in real life.
Kim portrays a character named Young-hee in the film, who is also an actress ponders of dating a married filmmaker and talks to her friends over drinks about the relationship shortly after she returns from a trip to Germany.
This is not Hong's first participation in the Berlin Film Festival as the renowned director has previously had "Night and Day" (2008) and "Nobody's Daughter Haewon" (2013) screened there. Some film insiders predicted Hong's new film could win a prize at the Berlinale as he is firmly established with the German film industry.
In 2010, Hong won the Cannes' Un Certain Regard category with "Hahaha."
Kim was previously invited to the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for her role as a wealthy heiress Lady Hideko in "The Handmaiden," directed by Park Chan-wook of "Old Boy" fame.
"On the Beach" will hit Korean theaters next month. The film also stars actors Jung Jae-young, Kwon Hae-hyo, Song Seon-mi and Moon Seong-geun.