Director LEE Sang-woo’s fourth feature film, <Barbie>, nabbed a Gryphon Award for best feature film in the Generator +18 section at Italy’s 2012 Giffoni International Film Festival (GIFF). LEE’s win is a first for a Korean film at Giffoni.

 

This year, the 42nd edition of GIFF kicked off on the 14th of July, closing on the 24th. The fest is held in the southern Italian city of Giffoni Valle Piana and focuses on children/teenage-themed films. It's one of the oldest children's film festivals in the world and attracts 100 thousand visitors yearly. Sections are divided by ages, from 3-18+, with age-suitable films screening in each.  Juries made up of children, teenagers and teachers select the best films within each section as well as award other special prizes.

 

Given LEE’s controversial filmography, including film such as <Mother is a whore> and <Father is a Dog>, it is no surprise that <Barbie> screened in the fest’s “adult” section, Generator +18. The film is about a Korean girl soon to be adopted into a family in the U.S. Her younger sister, not understanding what is happening, wants to go in her place. However, it is the American father’s ulterior motive behind the adoption that gives the story a shocking twist.

 

All seats for the film’s screening were sold out well in advance and many in the audience stood up and clapped after the screening. Mirovision, the film's international distributor said "Many in the audience were in tears during the screening".

 

 

LEE, who is currently at Giffoni, said, "It was all the more meaningful to get the award as the jury is made up of audience members". He added that, "Whereas audience feelings were clearly divided with his more controversial films, it was a wonderful to see how many in the audience were moved". LEE also said he had an inkling that he would get the award before the announcement thanks to local media reports predicting his win. He noted that the jury were impressed with the child actor's performance and the controversial themes. This win for LEE comes after his most recent feature, <Fire in Hell>, screened in competition at the recent Moscow International Film Festival.

 

<Barbie> was made with support from international broadcaster Arirang TV and is part of the <Meet Korea> project's third series. LEE has developed a cult following worldwide with his always controversial themes and “extreme” style of filmmaking. The film's distributor said that several more film festivals have shown interest in screening <Barbie>. The film features sisters Kim Sae-ron and Kim A-ron as well as LEE Chun-hee, and is set to be released in Korea in the second half of 2012.