Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee sweep three awards at Locarno

Director Hong Sang-soo's 35th feature film, 'Not Having Where to Look', has emerged as a triple crown winner at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, taking home Best Director, Best Actress, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize. As Hong and actress Kim Min-hee once again proved their presence at a major international film festival, attention from both domestic and international audiences has intensified, especially as the two appeared together at the official event.

'Not Having Where to Look' won Best Director, the Ecumenical Jury Prize, and Best Actress (Kim Min-hee) at the closing ceremony of the 79th Locarno Film Festival held on the 15th (local time).

In particular, the Best Director award at the Locarno Film Festival holds new significance for Hong. He previously won the Best Director award in the International Competition section of the Locarno Film Festival for 'Our Seon-hui' in 2013. Since then, he has visited Locarno for the fifth time, following 'Right Now, Wrong Then' (2015), 'Hotel by the River' (2018), 'Suyucheon' (2024), and now 'Not Having Where to Look'.

This marks his second time receiving the Best Director award at the same festival, separated by a span of 11 years.

Rather than explaining humans through massive events or dramatic narratives, the world of Hong Sang-soo's films has captured the inner lives of characters through small cracks in daily life, conversations, and repeated encounters. This latest work is evaluated as a continuation of Hong's unique cinematic grammar, following the subtle movements of human relationships and the textures of emotion rather than grand narrative devices.

The Ecumenical Jury Prize is also a noteworthy achievement. This is an independent award selected by a separate jury composed of Swiss Protestant and Catholic churches, awarded to works that deeply convey human dignity, the value of life, peace, human rights, and spiritual messages.

Given that Hong's films have explored human desire, relationships, and the ironies of life through trivial moments of daily existence, this award is read not only as an aesthetic achievement of the work but also as an international validation of his very perspective on humanity.

Kim Min-hee's win for Best Actress carries even deeper meaning.

Following her Best Actress win at the 77th Locarno Film Festival last year for Hong's 'Suyucheon', Kim has received her second acting award at the same festival with 'Not Having Where to Look'. It is a highly unusual record for an actor to win acting awards for two different works consecutively at the same film festival.

The character played by Kim in this film is Sang-hee, a daughter raised in a divorced household. The story begins as Sang-hee heads to Jeju Island to find her mother, whom she last saw 10 years ago. The film unfolds the relationships, memories, and emotions of reunion through the performances of Choi Myung-gil, Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho, and Park Mi-so.

Notably, at this Locarno Film Festival, Kim drew even greater attention as she appeared in public for the first time since having a son with Hong. Regardless of public interest in their private lives, at the film festival, the acting of Kim and the work itself were once again recognized with international acclaim.

Director Hong's award history is now forming a unique trajectory. While he has made films in a manner far removed from large production budgets or genre spectacles, his minimal cinematic language has instead consistently garnered attention at major international film festivals.

'Not Having Where to Look' is a work that sits on this same line of Hong's filmography. The space of Jeju Island, a long-separated family, people meeting again, and the minute changes in emotion occurring between them form the core of the film.

Above all, this triple crown at Locarno demonstrated that Hong's repetitive cinematic explorations remain valid in the international film community. Simultaneously, Kim has continued her special connection with Locarno, being recognized for her independent acting prowess beyond being just an actress in his films.

'Not Having Where to Look' had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival and is scheduled for a domestic release in Korea in the second half of this year. Interest is gathering to see what kind of expression this work, which has already lifted three trophies at a world film festival, will present to Korean audiences.