On March 22, the 16th Florence Korean Film Festival took its place at the Cinema La Compagnia in Firenze, Italy. At the opening ceremony, actor and director Ha Jung-woo received le Chiavi della citta award from the city of Firenze.
The city of Firenze awards artists who have achieved success in the fine arts industry. The particular award has a meaning of “key to the city” and they regard the chosen artists as “honorary citizens” of Firenze. Ha Jung-woo is the second Korean to receive this award, after director Park Chan-wook.
The deputy of Firenze, Cristina Giachi, said “Ha Jung-woo has a great fandom in Italy. He has been working hard as an actor and director for the past 15 years. Through his career, he showed talent and enthusiasm in the film industry. This is why we decided to choose him as the recipient of this award.”
This was apparently Ha Jung-woo’s first time visiting in Italy, thanks to the festival. He said, “it’s weird how I never had a chance to come to Italy until now. I did not know I would receive such an honor on my first visit. I went to the Uffizi Gallery immediately after I landed in Firenze and saw amazing artworks. It is a short visit, but I hope I can deliver the emotions I felt here through my acting when I head back to Korea.”
The festival has prepared a “Ha Jung-woo retrospective exhibition” as well. In the exhibition, they will show 5 movies Ha Jung-woo starred in, including ‘Along with the Gods,’ ‘The Handmaiden’ from 2016. In addition, Ha Jung-woo will lead a masterclass for the citizens of Firenze and share about his film philosophy.
Original Article
Translated by Dasol Kim
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