Directed by Joon-ho Bong, Mother, South Korea’s submission for the 2010 best foreign language film Academy Awards, won the top prize at the Blue Dragon Awards ceremony held tonight in Seoul.
Despite its important victory, Mother, the tale of a middle-aged mother (Kim Hye-ja) fighting to clear the name of her son (Won Bin), who has been accused of a vicious crime, failed to win many more trophies. In fact, the film won only two other awards: best supporting actor (Jin Ku) and best lighting.
The best director was Yong-hwa Kim for Take Off, an action film about Korea's national ski jumping team.
Best acting honors went to the following: Myeong-min Kim, best actor for Closer to Heaven; Ji-won Ha, best actress, also for Closer to Heaven; Hae-suk Kim, best supporting actress for Thirst; Ik-jun Yang, best new actor for Breathless; and Kot-bi Kim and Bo-yeong Park, who tied for the best new actress award for, respectively, Breathless and Scandal Makers.
Actress Jang Jin-young, among whose credits are Over the Rainbow, Scent of Chrysanthemums, and Between Love and Hate, and who died this past September at the age of 35 of stomach cancer, was given a special award.