Japanese drama feature “Yoko” won the Golden Goblet best picture award at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
The jury Grand Prix was awarded to Spain’s “Muyeres” with China’s Liu Jin winning the best director prize. The trio also collected additional prizes making them the only multiple winners in a ceremony that sprinkled its awards widely.
“Yoko,” directed by Kumakiri Kazuyoshi, who earlier this year saw melodramatic “#Manhole” play in Berlin, takes the structure of a road-movie and is a journey of self-discovery of a woman who had been socially isolated in her apartment for many years. Portrayed by global star Rinko Kikuchi (”Babel,” “47 Ronin”), the woman is forced to confront the real world, and herself, when she takes a 658 kilometre cross-country journey to her father’s funeral. Without a cell phone or the money for public transport, she finds herself having to hitch hike. Kikuchi also earned the best actress award.
The film, which also stars Odagiri Joe will have its commercial release in Japan at the end of July as “658km, Yoko no Tabi.”
“Muyeres” is the second feature-length work of Martha Lallana and is a documentary exploration of song preservation in the Asturian region of Spain. Shot in black and white, it focuses on the old women of a rural area where the oral traditions are in danger of extinction through migration and changes in values. As a project, “Muyeres” had a busy career as a work in progress at the Malaga Spanish Screenings in 2020 and at the International documentary Festival Amsterdam.
“All Ears,” is a drama film by Liu Jiayin, the female director behind notable hybrid documentaries “Oxhide” and “Oxhide II” in 2005 and 2009 respectively. The film follows the life of a man who writes eulogies for people’s funerals and in researching other people’s lives finds meaning in his own. The film has backing from award-winning filmmaker Cao Baoping and stars Hu Ge (“The Wild Goose Lake”). Production is by Alibaba Pictures with international sales handled by Rediance.
Shanghai International Film Festival 2023 Competition Winners
Best Feature Film
“Yoko” dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi (Japan)
Jury Grand Prix
“Muyeres” dir. Marta Lallana (Spain)
Best Director
Liu Jiayin for “All Ears” (China)
Best Actor (joint winners)
Hu Ge in “All Ears” (China) dir. Liu Jiayin
Da Peng in “Dust to Dust” (China) dir. Jonathan Li
Best Actress
Rinko Kikuchi in “Yoko” (Japan) dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi
Best Screenplay
Muroi Kosuke/Namiko Sou for “Yoko” (Japan) dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi
Best Cinematography
Toni Vidal for “Muyeres” (Spain) dir. Marta Lallana
Outstanding Artistic Achievement
“Good Autumn, Mommy” dir. Chen Shizhong (China)
Best documentary Film
“Anxious in Beirut” dir. Zakaria Jaber (Jordan/Lebanon/Qatar/Spain)
Best Animation Film
“Four Souls of Coyote” dir. Áron Gauder (Hungary)
Best Live Action Short Film
“The House We Had” dir. Andrey Krechetov (Russia)
Best Animated Short Film
“Chasing Birds” dir. UnaLorenzen (Iceland/Canada)
