Society

Turkish drama takes top prizes in Shanghai

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-20 06:59

HONG KONG - A Turkish drama about an immigrant from Macedonia coping with the death of her mother and her grieving father has clinched the top prize at China's top international film festival, with leading man Sevket Emrulla also taking home best actor honors.

Organizers of the Shanghai International Film Festival announced late Sunday that Orhan Oguz's "Hayde Bre" won the Golden Goblet for best feature film. The jury led by "Rain Man" director Barry Levinson said in a statement it was impressed by Oguz's "stark, honest, unflinching look at a mother dealing with a modern world and her separation from her rural background."

The jury added that the movie was "effective, sometimes disturbing, but always true to its intentions."

Emrulla's performance was "just perfect, simple but full of meaning."

The runner-up Jury Grand Prix went to Chinese director Han Jie's "Mr. Tree," the story of an average villager who mysteriously becomes a respected prophet. Han was also named best director.

The jury praised Han for "being clear and understandable with a complex theme while staying subtle to avoid being simplistic."

Best actress went to China's Lu Xingchen, who starred in "The Young Man Sings Folk Songs in the Opposite Door." The Zhang Ming film, which follows a complex love triangle, also picked up best screenwriter for the director and won best score for composer Wen Zi.

Thai director Yuthlert Sippapak's "Friday Killer," which the jury described as a "a colorful, atmospheric, good-looking gangster epic paying open tribute to Quentin Tarantino," won the Jury Award and best cinematography for Tiwa Moeithaisong.

The other members of the jury were British screenwriter Christopher Hampton, Japanese director Yoichi Sai, French-Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung, Chinese director Wang Quanan, Spanish actress Paz Vega and Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu.