S.Korean Son named Best Actor at Moscow Film Fest
MOSCOW: South Korea’s Son Hyun-joo received the Best Actor award for his role in ‘Ordinary Person’ at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival.
The 52-year-old received the prize at the awards ceremony on Thursday.
Son, who could not attend the ceremony due to his filming for tvN’s upcoming drama ‘Criminal Minds’ — the Korean adaptation of popular American drama series, conveyed his appreciation through his agency Keyeast.
“I am honoured to receive the big award. I was stunned to hear the news,” he said. “I feel grateful to everyone who worked together for ‘Ordinary Person’.”
Kim Bong-han, who directed the film accepted the award on Son’s behalf.
Released in Korea in March, ‘Ordinary Person’ revolves round a police officer (Son), whose life takes a turn after getting involved in an illegal scheme led by an National Intelligence Service agent, who orders the officer to frame a onetime murderer as a serial killer. The movie takes place in 1987 during former President Chun Doo-hwan’s military rule.
It is the third time for a Korean actor to receive the best actor award at the festival after Kang Soo-youn in 1989 for her role in ‘Come, Come, Come Upward’ and Lee Deok-hwa in 1993 for his role in ‘I Will Survive’.
The movie also earned the Jury Prize from the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), an international organisation founded in 1990 to promote “a greater understanding and appreciation of Asian films and filmmakers at a time when Asian cinema was just coming into its own but was relatively unknown regionally and internationally,” according to its website.
The Moscow International Film Festival is one of the four major international film events after Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals. It began in 1935 and became a regular fixture starting in 1959.
I am honoured to receive the big award. I was stunned to hear the news. I feel grateful to everyone who worked together for ‘Ordinary Person’. – Son Hyun-joo, actor