"Following Bong Joon-ho, a New Korean Film Talent"...Director Jin Mi-song Wins Second Prize at Cannes' La Cinéfondation [Cannes★Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Korean Director Jin Mi-song Achieves Second Prize at Cannes Film Festival's La Cinéfondation with 'Silent Voices'

Korean director Jin Mi-song has been honored with the second prize at the Cannes International Film Festival's La Cinéfondation for her film 'Silent Voices'. Following last year's first prize win by Korean director Lee Ga-young for 'First Summer' in La Cinéfondation, director Jin's win this year has once again drawn intense attention from the film industry.

At the 79th Cannes International Film Festival La Cinéfondation awards ceremony held on the afternoon of the 21st at 6 p.m. (local time) at the Buñuel Theater in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, director Jin Mi-song's 'Silent Voices' received the second prize. At the ceremony, Korean-French actor Park Ji-min presented the award to director Jin Mi-song.

Before announcing the award recipient, Park Ji-min said, "We have always believed that the personal cannot be separated from the political. And this film is an excellent example of that." He added, "This film is not only a story about the difficulties and hardships of living as an immigrant in a country other than one's homeland, but also a story about what it means to exist as a 'stranger' to someone."

He continued, "The unspoken languages held by each character in the film, in a silence almost approaching stillness, paradoxically allow us to connect with them and, ultimately, with others." He then announced, "The second prize is awarded to 'Silent Voices'."

A representative from La Cinéfondation stated, "This is a Korean work, and it was submitted by Columbia University in the United States."

'Silent Voices' is a short film depicting the stories of Korean immigrants living in the United States. The film follows four family members, offering a glimpse into their private lives as they navigate between survival and disconnection in a place where they feel alienated due to their appearance, culture, and distance from their homeland.

Director Jin Mi-song, who studied English literature and film directing at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, is currently enrolled in the MFA film program at Columbia University. She was invited to La Cinéfondation, the student film section of the Cannes International Film Festival, with 'Silent Voices', her graduation film, and has now experienced the joy of winning the award.

Immediately after the award, Director Jin Mi-song spoke with StarNews about her feelings. Director Jin said, "I had no expectation at all, but I am so grateful for receiving the second prize. I will strive to make even better works through this opportunity." She also remarked, "At first, I was unsure, but I realized I had won when the title was announced at the end." When asked what she wanted to do after the award, she smiled brightly and said, "I'd like to have a glass of soju."

Finally, Director Jin added, "I want to share this happy news with my mom and dad in Korea first."

Director Jin Mi-song's win at La Cinéfondation signals the emergence of another new young filmmaker following giants of the Korean film industry such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. Furthermore, with a female director winning for the second consecutive year, following last year's win, attention is also focused on the new wind blowing for female directors in the Korean film industry.

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*This content was translated by AI.