HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD Picks Up Grand Prix for Best Film from the International Jury in Berlin

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HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD Picks Up Grand Prix for Best Film from the International Jury in Berlin

Feb 18, 2019

Writer by Pierce Conran
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KIM Bora’s Debut Continues Award-Winning Festival Run

KIM Bora’s debut film House of Hummingbird (2018) has been awarded the Grand Prix for Best Film from the International Jury in the Generation 14plus section at this year’s 69th Berlin International Film Festival. The film initially premiered in the New Currents competition section of last year’s Busan International Film Festival.

Set in 1994, KIM’s film follows an adolescent girl who lives with her family in Seoul and attempts to navigate the various social pressures around her, all the while navigating her first brushes with romance. She also becomes very close with her after-school Chinese Character teacher, played by indie darling KIM Sae-byuk (The First Lap, 2017).

In their awards comments, the jury described KIM’s work as “a first feature with the maturity of an enduring artist. This strong film is a beautifully constructed portrait of a young girl trying to find her place within her troubled family. Its precise cinematic style is subtle and withheld while at the same time very moving.”

House of Hummingbird (2018) has had a short but very impressive track record on the festival circuit so far, having won awards at all three events it has been invited to. Beyond Berlin, the film earned the NETPAC Award and KNN Audience Award in Busan as well as the New Choice Award and SIFF Committee Award from the Seoul Independent Film Festival last December.

The film was the only Korean title to receive an award at the Berlinale this year, out of five features screened in total. Previous Korean films to have picked up awards in the Generation sections include SHIN Su-won’s PLUTO (Special Mention from Youth Jury Generation 14plus in 2013) and YOON Ga-eun’s Sprout (Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film in 2014).

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