Director Hong Sang-soo, actor Kim Min-hee win awards at Locarno film fest
From left, filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, actors Kim Min-hee and Park Mi-so pose during a photocall for the movie "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes" at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, Thursday. EPA-Yonhap
Director Hong Sang-soo and actor Kim Min-hee have clinched awards at this year's Locarno Film Festival for their latest film, "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes."
Hong received the award for best direction at the 79th edition of the film festival in Switzerland on Saturday, while Kim, the director's long-time partner, won best performance along with Italian actress Monica Bellucci for her role in Italian drama "Kettice."
"Nowhere to Lay My Eyes," Hong's 35th feature, follows Sang-hee (Kim Min-hee), who heads to the southern Korean island of Jeju to find her divorcee mom whom she last saw 10 years ago.
It marked the fifth time Hong was invited to the Locarno film fest to screen his work. He won the best director award for "Our Sunhi" (2013) and the top Golden Leopard prize for "Right Now, Wrong Then" (2015).
Kim previously clinched the best performance award at the festival for her role in Hong's "By the Stream" (2024).