Chinese director Wang Er Zhuo’s Farewell, My Hometown and The Apartment With Two Women, from Korean filmmaker Kim Se-in, were presented with the New Currents Awards at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (October 6-15).
Farewell, My Hometown (pictured) comprises three stories – the first about an elderly woman recounting her life of poverty in the countryside, the second about a young woman who has moved to Beijing, and the third about a middle-aged teacher reflecting on her college years in the 1980s.
The Apartment With Two Women, starring Lym Ji-ho and Yang Mal-bok, revolves around the conflict between a mother and daughter that ends up in court. The film also won best actress for Lym Ji-ho’s performance, the KB New Currents Audience Award, NETPAC Award and one of two Watcha Awards.
The Kim Jiseok Awards went to The Rapist, directed by Indian filmmaker Aparna Sen, and Brillante Ma Mendoza’s Gensan Punch, a co-production between the Philippines and Japan, while a special mention went to Chinese filmmaker Wang Qi’s The Bargain.
The Rapist explores questions of gender, class, and institutional contradictions through the story of a psychology professor who is sexually assaulted in the course of her work. Gensan Punch tells the true story of Japanese athlete Naozumi Tsuchiyama, who became a professional boxer in the Philippines despite having an artificial leg.
Busan opened with Im Sang-soo’s Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness and closed with Longman Leung’s Anita, a biopic of Cantopop diva Anita Mui, who died in 2003.
OTHER BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2021 WINNERS:
BIFF Mecenat Awards:
206: Unearthed – dir: Heo Chul-nyung (Korea, Thailand)
Self-Portrait: Fairy Tale In 47km – dir: Zhang Mengqi (China)
Sonje Awards:
A Winter Glove – dir: Lee Hyeonju (Korea)
The Sea Calls For Me – dir: Tumpal Tampubolon (Indonesia)
Actor & Actress of the Year:
Kwon Daham – Through My Midwinter (Korea)
Lym Ji-ho – The Apartment With Two Women (Korea)
KB New Currents Audience Award:
The Apartment With Two Women – Kim Se-in
Flash Forward Audience Award:
Mass – Fran Kranz (US)
FIPRESCI Award:
Seire – Park Kang (Korea)
NETPAC Award:
The Apartment With Two Women – Kim Se-in (Korea)
DGK MEGABOX Awards:
Through My Midwinter – Oh Seongho (Korea)
A Lonely Island In The Distant Sea – Kim Miyoung (Korea)
CGV Arthouse Award:
Chorokbam – Yoon Seo-jin (Korea)
KBS Independent Film Award:
Hot In Day, Cold At Night – Park Songyeol (Korea)
CGK Award:
Chorokbam – Choo Kyeong-yeob, cinematographer (Korea)
Critic b Award:
Hot In Day, Cold At Night – Park Songyeol (Korea)
Watcha Awards:
Through My Midwinter – Oh Seongho (Korea)
The Apartment With Two Women – Kim Se-in (Korea)
Citizen Critics’ Award:
Chorokbam – Yoon Seo-jin (Korea)
Busan Cinephile Award:
I’m So Sorry – Zhao Liang (Hong Kong, China, France, Netherlands)