Posted September. 12, 2004 22:03,
Film director Kim Ki-duk (44) won the award for Best Director for the movie Empty House at the 61st Venice International Film Festival that came to an end at its closing ceremony on September 12 (Korean Standard Time) in Venice.
The Award for Best Director is ranked third after the Golden Lion and the Jury Grand Prize, and was taken home in 2002 by director Lee Chang-dong for Oasis.
In February, director Kim also won the Best Directors Award for Samaria at the Berlin International Film Festival and has accomplished the feat of taking home three consecutive trophies for best film director at three of the worlds most renowned film festivals in just one year.
In addition, director Kims award, along with this years Cannes Film Festival Jury Grand Prize-winning film Old Boy (Director: Park Chan-wook), has swept the main categories of the worlds three largest film festivals, Berlin, Cannes, and Venice, displaying to the world the superiority of Korean movies.
Actress Lee Seung-yeon, who stirred up dispute over the Nude Comfort Woman controversy, and Hee Jae (real name: Lee Hyun-gyu) star in this award-winning piece, Empty House which illustrates a love story between an imprisoned woman who is battered by her violent husband, and a man who lives in empty houses.
British director Mike Leighs Vera Drake won the prestigious Golden Lion, while Spanish director Alejandro Amenabars Out of Sea was selected for the Jury Grand Prize. Director Im Kwon-taks Low Life, which competed with Empty House in the same category, was not up for any awards.
Meanwhile, President Roh Moo-hyun sent a congratulatory message to director Kim on this day, saying, This award, along with the Berlin International Film Festivals award, is serving as momentum that will once again seal the potential and excellence of Korean film arts.