BURNING Claims FIPRESCI and Vulcan Prizes in Cannes

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BURNING Claims FIPRESCI and Vulcan Prizes in Cannes

May 24, 2018

Writer by Pierce Conran
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Critically-Acclaimed LEE Chang-dong Film Shut Out of Main Awards

Following an eight-year absence, director LEE Chang-dong returned in a grand form to the director’s chair with BURNING, which debuted last week in the main competition section of the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Drawing some of the strongest reviews of the festival, the film left Cannes with both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist.

Based on MURAKAMI Haruki’s short story ‘Barn Burning’ and featuring YOO Ah-in (Veteran, 2015), Steven YEUN (Okja, 2017) and newcomer JUN Jong-seo, BURNING picked up the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Prize for best film from a jury who called it a “visually stunning film and an emotionally complex comment on contemporary society.” It is the first Korean film to earn the FIPRESCI Prize in Cannes

The Vulcan Award for the Technical Artist, which is awarded by a special jury appointed by the Superior Technical Commission of Image and Sound (CST), went to art director SHIN Jeom-hee, for “exceptional contribution to the portrayal of his characters.” SHIN has worked with director LEE on all of his films save for his 1997 debut Green Fish. BURNING is the second film to claim the Vulcan Prize in Cannes, following art director RYU Seong-hee’s win for PARK Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden in 2016.

Despite ecstatic reviews and a record 3.8 score (out of a possible 4.0) on Screen Daily’s annual Cannes Jury Gird, LEE’s film was not awarded any prizes by the festival’s main jury, presided over by Cate Blanchett. This year’s Palme d’or went to Cannes regular KOREEDA Hirokazu for his latest film Shoplifters. Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman won the Grand Prize while Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum from Lebanon took home the Jury Prize.

Previously, LEE’s films Secret Sunshine (2007) and Poetry (2010) both earned prizes in Cannes: Best Actress (JEON Do-yeon) for the former, and Best Screenplay for the latter.

BURNING was released in Korea on May 17 and has already secured distributors in eight overseas territories, including France and China.

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