‘Ordinary Person’ wins 2 awards at Moscow Int’l Film Festival

This photo provided by actor Son Hyun-joo shows the Best Actor trophy from the Moscow International Film Festival on June 29, 2017. (Yonhap)

MOSCOW, June 30 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s Son Hyun-joo received the Best Actor award at the Moscow International Film Festival, the organizers said Friday.

Son, who starred in “Ordinary Person,” became the third Korean to win the top acting prize in Moscow following Kang Soo-youn in 1989 and Lee Deok-hwa in 1993. The 39th festival took place from June 22-29.

“I am so grateful and honored,” Son told Yonhap News Agency in a phone interview. He didn’t attend the ceremony due to shooting another project.

“I wish I were there myself. I will treat director Kim Bong-han to soju for getting the award for me,” he said.

Originally from the small screen, Son first took the main role in the thriller movie “Hide and Seek” in 2013. Since then, he has actively appeared in various films, making his presence felt in the Korean film scene.

At the awards ceremony, director Kim came onto the stage to receive the award for Son.

“I am so glad that Son gets international recognition through my film,” he said, adding that Son’s performance as a person next door was extremely brilliant and convincing.

The movie depicts a story about detective Sung-jin, played by Son, who loses everything as he gets involved in a serial murder case, which was under scrutiny from the national intelligence service. It is set in the late ’80s when former President Chun Doo-hwan’s military dictatorship was at its height.

Meanwhile, the movie earned the Jury Prize from the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), an international organization 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 film festival started in 1935 and took a break during World War II. It resumed in 1959 to become the biggest in Eastern Europe.

South Korea’s newly appointed Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan sent a congratulatory message to Son and Kim for winning the coveted international awards.

“This is another achievement that informed the world of the creativity and artistry of Korean films,” said the message. “I hope you will continue to contribute to the development of Korean films with good work that will impress the world in the future.”

A scene from “Ordinary Person” with lead star Son Hyun-joo. (L) (Yonhap)

One Comment

1. Dailyhits Blog

   July 5, 2017 at 6:18 AM

   So excited for Daredevil season 3. I just wish they would hurry up and bring out the season as fast as possible especially because they left the last season with so many unanswered questions.
   Really hyped to see Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page.

   Reply