Renowned Korean director Lee Chang-dong's film "Poetry" was named best picture at the 25th Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland, the event's organizers said Monday.

The film, Lee's fifth feature, tells the story of a conflicted elderly woman who finds happiness in writing poetry for the first time, while a harsh reality simultaneously forces her to suffer guilt and fear.

Written by the Cannes award-winning director, who served as South Korea's culture minister from 2003 to 2004, the screenplay has drawn rave reviews for its emphatic insight into crime and redemption.

Lee took the top Regard d'or award out of 12 films in the festival's international competition, winning a total of 30,000 Swiss francs ($32,000) in prize money, according to the FIFF, which ran from March 19-26.

"Poetry" also received the jury award given by the International Federation of the Cinematographic Press for promoting cinema as an art and encouraging new and young cinematographers.

"'Poetry' traces a critical psychogram of society whilst examining the question of guilt and the place occupied by poetry within a ruthless world," said the jury in a statement posted on its Web site. "For the skillful fusion, the perfect unity, the beauty, the purity and essence of art in itself."

The movie also won the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival last year. (Yonhap)