Movie About N.Korean Defector Wins Award at Tokyo Film Fest

Director and lead actor Park Jung-bum's "The Journals of Musan" won the Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo Filmex Festival that ended on Sunday.

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The movie deals with the harsh reality of adjusting to life in South Korea from the point of view of a North Korean defector, and serves as a bitter portrayal of the prejudices he faces in his newly adopted home.

The festival, which is celebrating its 12th anniversary, has a long history of screening South Korean films. This year especially, Kim Ki-duk's "ARIRANG - Movie" served as the curtain raiser, while Heo Jong-ho's "Countdown" and Juhn Jai-hong's "Poongsan" along with "The Journals of Musan" were invited to the competition category.

Park's movie has won 16 awards at major film festivals around the world since it premiered at the Busan International Film Festival last year.