Hong Sang-soo wins best director at Berlin Film Festival

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo poses with the Silver Bear for Best Director award at the 70th Berlinale film festival in Berlin, Saturday (local time). AFP-Yonhap

By Kwak Yeon-soo

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for his latest film “The Woman Who Ran,” the organizer announced Saturday (local time).

The Berlinale Jury president, Oscar-winning British actor Jeremy Irons, said the jury selected winners focusing on cinematic discourse and arthouse prestige.

Hong is the second South Korean filmmaker to take the prize in the category, following Kim Ki-duk for “Samaritan Girl” in 2004.

“Thank you, Thank you very much. I'd like to thank everyone who's worked with me for this film, the film festival and the jury,” Hong said in an acceptance speech.

He then introduced actresses Kim Min-hee and Seo Young-hwa, who received a hearty round of applause from the audience.

Actress Kim, who is in an extramarital relationship with the director, is not a newcomer to the Berlinale as she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her role in another Hong film “On the Beach at Night Alone” (2017).

Hong and Kim, who confirmed their relationship in 2017, were making their first public appearance together since a local court denied Hong's divorce suit last year. In Korea, only the injured party in a case of adultery can legally file for divorce.

Hong did not appeal to a higher court and is thus still legally married to his wife, even though the two have been separated for several years.

“The Woman Who Ran” is the filmmaker's 24th feature film since debuting with “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” in 1997. It is Hong's fourth time competing for a prize at the Berlin festival following “Night And Day” (2008), “Nobody's Daughter Haewon” (2013) and “On the Beach at Night Alone.”

From left, South Korean actress Kim Min-hee, director Hong Sang-soo and actress Seo Young-hwa pose for a photo on the red carpet ahead of the award ceremony at the 70th Berlin Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday (local time) AFP-Yonhap

The film revolves around Gam-hee, played by Kim, a married woman who meets three friends over three days while her husband is away on a business trip.

As she travels alone for the first time in the five years since her marriage, Gam-hee explores new ways of seeing the world. The film has received rave reviews since its screening at the festival.

According to British outlet Screen Daily, the film was ranked fourth in critics rating (2.7/4), following “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (3.4/4), “Days” (3.3/4), and “Undine” (3.1/4).

Hong is well-known for portraying talkative characters as well as appearing in works with recurring plots and themes with slight variations. Inspired by the filmmaker's personal experiences, most of his films showcase neurotic characters who drink a lot and engage in rambling conversation about life and relationships.

Compared with many other filmmakers who aim to stretch the boundaries of storytelling or deal with social problems, Hong scribbles and focuses on minimalistic presentation.

However, the filmmaker's naturalistic approach and appreciation of small moments showcase plenty of depth. He is also known for carrying narrative ambiguity.

Asked about the title, who the woman is and why she ran away, Hong said, “I don't know... I didn't intend to define the specific reasons behind the woman's decision to run away. I simply didn't want to make a film like that,” he said.

At the press conference held after the awards ceremony, Hong said he did not intend to make a film that reflects social issues.

“I live in a small world, with very small details coming one after another,” Hong said. “I try not to be intentional when making films. I rarely focus on topics that are typical in Korean society.”

Hong said he writes stories from a small idea and writes the script for his film just a week before shooting.

“One week before the shooting, or sometimes a few days before shooting, I'm forced to come up with the first scene or sequence,” he said.

“When I start shooting, I don't have a complete idea in terms of structure or narrative. I just start with materials I have and see what happens next.”

The film does not yet have a release date in Korea due to the surge of COVID-19 cases, but will be shown sometime in the spring.

Meanwhile, the Golden Bear for Best Film went to “There Is No Evil” by Mohammad Rasoulof and the grand jury prize was given to “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by Eliza Hittman.

The 70th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which is recognized as one of the three most important major film festivals alongside Cannes and Venice, was held from Feb. 20 to March 1.