Berlin film festival-Korean director

▲ South Korean director Hong Sang-soo poses with the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for "A Traveler's Needs" backstage during the awards ceremony at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 24, 2024 in Berlin in this pool photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

▲ A scene from "A Traveler's Needs" is shown in this photo provided by the Berlin International Film Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Berlin film festival-Korean director

S. Korean director Hong wins Berlin Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with new film, 'A Traveler's Needs'

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON/BERLIN, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Hong Sang-soo won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with his new film, "A Traveler's Needs," at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the German capital on Saturday.

The prolific auteur clinched the festival's second highest prize with his 31st feature film starring French actress Isabelle Huppert who portrays a French language teacher for two Korean women.

"I'd like to thank the jury. I don't know what you saw in the film," Hong said in his acceptance speech, drawing laughter from the audience. "I am curious. Anyway, I really thank you."

The festival's top prize, the Golden Bear, went to "Dahomey," a documentary film by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop.

Including the latest, Hong has been honored with a total of five silver bear prizes from the festival so far, starting with "On the Beach at Night Alone" in 2017, where lead actress, Kim Min-hee, was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

At the 2022 festival, Hong received the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for his film "The Novelist's Film."

"A Traveler's Needs" marks Hong's third cinematic collaboration with Huppert, following the first film "In Another Country" in 2012 and "Claire's Camera" in 2018.

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