Love Conquers All

THE HANKYOREH

Malaysian director wins major prizes at PIFF with subtle love story

An up-and-coming female director from Malaysia received two major prizes at
the Pusan International Film Festival on Friday for her subtle portrayal of love
and emotion in "Love Conquers All," the fest committee said.

Tan Chui Mui, 28, won the non-cash Prize of International Film Critics given to
Asian films with an experimental spirit. She also shared the New Currents
Award with China's Yang Heng of "Betelnut," a film about teenage
delinquents. The award of PIFF's sole competitive section New Currents came
with US$30,000 for each winner.

"Love Conquers All," Tan's debut feature, follows the complex psyche of a
woman involved in relationships with two men. The story, with a twist at the
end, was commended for its beautiful use of language and the complicated
flow of emotions expressed by the main character.

Tan said she hoped the audience would be able to share the heroine's
feelings of love.

"I kept it open how the story would end in the middle of the film, so that my
audience could share the feelings of the main character. Anyone who has
been in love, I think, will understand she who knows how things will end, but
still chooses that way to be with her lover," Tan said in an interview after she
was announced as the winner.

A former journalist and now a producer and director with five short films under
her belt, Tan sees a promising future on the horizon for Malaysian films.

"I want to express my passion for the Malaysian film industry, which is
beginning to emerge," she said.

In other awards, South Korean director Roh Gyeong-tae of "The Last Dining
Table" won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema, given to the best
Korean film. The best Korean short film prize, the Sunje & Woonpa Award,
was shared by Lee Jin-woo of "The Wind Stirs" and Yoon Seong-ho of
"Portfolio."

The best Korean documentary awards were shared by Kim Duk-chul with
"People Crossing the River" and Kim Myeong-joon with "Our School."

The audience favorite in the New Currents section, the KNN audience award,
was given to Vietnam's Huynh Luu with "The White Silk Dress."

Busan, Oct. 20 (Yonhap News)

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