KIM Ki-duk won the FEDEORA (Best Film award) with ONE ON ONE at the 11th Venice Days section of the 71st Venice International Film Festival, which closed on September 6. ‘Venice Days’, an equivalence of Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival, is held under the supervision of Italian film festival directors’ society and producers’ society. ONE ON ONE was screened as the opener of the Venice Days and earned favorable comments from viewers of the world. It is a meaningful result especially because European Auteurism films have overwhelmed in the ‘Venice Days’ so far.

 

KIM Ki-duk has history of connection with Venice. PIETA made him win the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival and he was invited to the non-competition section of the 70th edition of the festival with MOEBIUS in the following year. This year, he visited the ‘Venice Days’ of the 71st Venice International Film Festival, where he grabbed the Best Film award with ONE ON ONE, so he has been invited to the festival 3 years in a row and had the honor to win awards twice.

 

ONE ON ONE is a film about a high school girl being cruelly murdered. 7 suspects and 7 shadow characters fight each other in the film. Among people who have surrendered to and compromised with corruption and lived as cowards, the protagonist fights for justice and tragically dies in the end. Critics said it is an impressive film plainly showing the painful aspect of Korea that all grudgingly ignored. MA Dong-seok, KIM Yeong-min and YI Yi-kyung appear in this 20th film of KIM Ki-duk.

 

After winning the award, KIM Ki-duk said, “ONE ON ONE is story about ordinary people standing up against corruption of power.  I hope this film gives viewers in the world a chance to look back themselves and to empathize the agony of the times through an incident that symbolizes the end of democracy and the death of the main character who tried to dig the truth behind the incident.”