"Bread and Books" Wins Grand Prize in Competition Section at 31st Busan International Film Festival: "Hoping for a World Without War"

The Indian film "Bread and Books" has won the Busan Award Grand Prize, the top honor in the competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.

During the closing ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the 15th, Indian director Majid Majidi's "Bread and Books" received the grand honor.

"Bread and Books" explores education, poverty, and social structures that are difficult to resolve solely through individual goodwill, following a protagonist who works as a teacher by day and an oil smuggler by night in an arid village.

Director Majidi said in his acceptance speech, "This is my first time visiting the Busan Film Festival, and I am honored to receive such a big award. I believe it is thanks to the love and energy given by my mother, who passed away a few months before filming." He also shared an anti-war message, saying, "I hope for a world without war," and added, "I dedicate this honor to the people of Iran. They are still resisting against oppression." Majidi is widely known for his 2001 film "Children of Heaven," which also received much love from domestic audiences.

Chinese fifth-generation master director Zhang Yimou, who served as the head of the Busan Award jury this year, evaluated, "It is an ideal film that I had in mind in my heart," adding, "It is a brilliant work unanimously selected by all the jurors."

The Busan International Film Festival established the competition section "Busan Award" last year and selected Chinese director Chang Ryul's "Twilight of Luo Mou" as its inaugural grand prize winner. Marking its second year, this year's choice was Indian director Majid Majidi's "Bread and Books." Director Chang Ryul attended the closing ceremony that day to personally present the trophy to Director Majid Majidi. The prize money is 50 million won.

In addition, starting this year, the winner of the Busan Award Grand Prize is granted eligibility for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in the United States.

The Best Director Award went to Director Li Yunchan for "To Be Ordinary," while the Jury Special Prize was awarded to Director Eddie Chayohono's "My Mother." The Best Actor Award was won by Zhou Xun for "Stolen Youth" and Himeno Kashun for "Satoko Where Are You?". The Artistic Contribution Award was received by sound supervisor Li Danfeng for "Stolen Youth," and the New Currents Award was given to Director Shashank Walia's "Birds in the Dark."

The 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opened on the 6th, attracted 200,043 audience members over 10 days. This is the first time since 2015 that the film festival has surpassed 200,000 attendees.



(SBS Yonsei News Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.