Korean Movie Wins Award at Venice Film Festival

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. recognize (v.) [rek-uh g-nahyz] – to give public attention

Example:  The school gave the teacher an award to recognize her years of hard work.

2. prestigious (adj.) [pre-stij-uh s, -stij-ee-uh s, -stee-juh s, -stee-jee-uh s] – well-known or highly praised

Example: The Cannes Film Festival is one the most prestigious film festivals in the world.

3. loan shark (n.) [lohn] [shahrk] – a money lender who asks for a very high interest rate

Example: The man could not pay the money he borrowed from a loan shark.

4. garner (v.) [gahr-ner] – to earn or receive something (usually something valuable)

Example: The new film garnered a lot of praise from critics and movie fans.

5. jury (n.) [joor-ee] – a group of people assigned to choose who will win a contest

Example: The jury gave high scores to the contestant who sang a difficult song.

Article
Read the text below.

At the 2012 Venice International Film Festival in Italy, actors and movie makers from around the world gathered to recognize some of the year’s best cinematic works and film talents. The Golden Lion, the most prestigious award at the festival, was given to the South Korean film titled “Pieta.” The movie tells about the strange relationship between a cruel loan shark and a woman who suddenly appears and claims to be his mother. “Pieta” was directed by Kim Ki-duk, who sang a song to the audience after receiving the award. He explained that it was a song Koreans sing in times of sadness, loneliness, desperation, and also in times of happiness.    The Best Actor award was shared by actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, who both starred in the American movie “The Master.”  The movie is about a religious leader who takes care of a war veteran. Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of “The Master,” garnered the Silver Lion award for best director. Anderson, however, was not in Venice to accept the award. Hoffman, in his own acceptance speech, described Anderson as a great film-maker and a friend. Hadas Yaron was selected as best actress for her performance in the Israeli film “Fill the Void.” The movie is about what life is like for people living in a very traditional Jewish community. American director Michael Mann headed the Venice jury who voted on the films.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         What is the importance of giving awards to excellent artistic works from around the world?

·          How do you feel when a person or group from your country wins a big award or prize for their work?

Discussion B

·         What do you think are some of the differences between Asian and Western movies?

·         Why is that many Asian movies are becoming popular in Western countries?