Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee at Locarno Film Festival

Director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee attended the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland for the screening of Hong’s 35th feature film, ‘Nowhere to Lay My Eyes’. The film follows a woman named Sang-hee who travels to Jeju Island to find her mother.

At the festival, the film received three awards: Best Director for Hong Sang-soo, the Ecumenical Jury Prize, and Best Actress for Kim Min-hee, who shared the honor with Italian actress Monica Bellucci. This marked Kim’s second Best Actress win at the festival. This appearance at Locarno marks the fifth time Hong has been invited to the festival, where he previously won the Golden Leopard in 2015. The festival’s top prize, the Golden Leopard, was awarded to the Romanian film ‘You Don’t Belong Here’, directed by Florin Șerban.

During a Q&A session, Kim discussed balancing her acting career with motherhood, noting she managed childcare responsibilities directly on set. Having welcomed a son in April, she also served as a production manager for the film. Regarding her professional and personal life, Kim stated, ‘I want nothing more than that’ in reference to her life and work with Hong being naturally intertwined. The film is scheduled for release in South Korea in the second half of the year.