Actor Kim Min-hee expressed affection for director Hong Sang-soo and their child after winning the best actress award at the Locarno Film Festival.
At the closing ceremony of the 79th Locarno Film Festival held on Aug. 15, Kim Min-hee won the best actress award for Hong Sang-soo's film "There is nowhere to look."
Kim Min-hee won the best actress award at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in 2024 for "Suyucheon," and with this work she reclaimed the trophy after two years.
When her name was called, Kim Min-hee shared her joy with director Hong Sang-soo and took the stage, saying, "I am so grateful to the director who made such a poetically beautiful film. And I am so thankful to our wonderful colleagues, and I want to share this award with them."
She went on to say, "My other colleague Sumi, thank you so much. She is here now with her baby. Jeju friends, I am so happy to bring you this joyful news. Thank you," showing a choked-up expression.
Kim Min-hee also mentioned the child between her and director Hong Sang-soo, saying, "From now on I will act only with truly loving feelings. Thank you."
Kim Min-hee concluded her remarks by saying, "And when my heart feels heavy and frustrated, I will definitely watch this film again every time. Thank you, director," expressing affection for director Hong Sang-soo.
Meanwhile, Kim Min-hee and Hong Sang-soo are known to have fallen in love after working together as director and actor on the film "Right Now, Wrong Then." At the time, Hong Sang-soo filed for divorce mediation from the wife he had lived with for 30 years in an attempt to formalize the relationship, but the wife refused to accept any of the delivered divorce mediation documents.
The divorce mediation ultimately went to trial, and in the meantime Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee acknowledged their affair, saying they were "in love with each other." However, the court dismissed Hong Sang-soo's divorce suit against his wife, explaining that "a spouse who bears primary responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage, in principle, cannot file for divorce on the grounds of that breakdown."
Nevertheless, Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee have continued their extramarital relationship after the dismissal of the divorce suit, and last April they had a son.
[Photo] live broadcast capture
[OSEN]