Korean film wins top award at Rotterdam fest

A South Korean movie picked up the best film award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on Sunday, according to the event’s website.

“Han Gong-ju” by director Lee Su-jin received the Tiger Award jointly with “Anatomy of a Paperclip” of Japan and Sweden’s “Something Must Break” during the 43rd festival held from Jan. 22 through Feb. 2, it said.

The Rotterdam festival, held annually in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, is one of the world’s most authoritative festivals for independent, innovative and experimental films, along with the Sundance Film Festival. The Tiger Award is given to first- or second-time directors.

Lee became the fifth South Korean filmmaker to clinch the prize following Hong Sang-soo for “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” in 1997, Park Chan-ok with “Jealousy Is My Middle Name” in 2003, Yang Ik-june with “Breathless” in 2009 and Park Jeong-beom for “The Journals of Musan” in 2011. (Yonhap)