Zhou Xun received an acting honour at the Busan International Film Festival's closing ceremony on October 15 for The First Taste of Loneliness. VnExpress reported that she thanked director Gu Xiaogang, the production team and her parents while accepting the award.
Three generations in a shared home
The film concludes Gu's Shanshui trilogy. Zhou plays Jiang Yue, a divorced fashion designer living with her elderly mother and adolescent daughter in an old apartment beside the Qiantang River in Hangzhou.
Its story follows women from three generations as they confront loneliness and changes within their family. Their shared home provides the setting for experiences shaped by different stages of life.
VnExpress cited Screen Daily's praise for Zhou's restrained performance and her rapport with Xi Meijuan, who plays the mother. Those critical observations sit alongside the festival's formal recognition of her acting.
Other closing-night honours
The First Taste of Loneliness also earned an artistic contribution award for sound director Li Danfeng. Japanese performer Kashun Himeno received an acting honour for Satoko Always, directed by Shuichi Okita.
Lee Yun Chan won the directing award for To Be Ordinary, while Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Midday Meal took the best-film prize, according to the reported results.
The 31st Busan festival ran from October 6 to 15. Its programme included 246 works from 59 countries and territories alongside the Community BIFF section. Founded in 1996, the event promotes Asian cinema and provides opportunities for filmmakers.
Born in Zhejiang in 1974, Zhou made her film debut in 1991. Her established screen career includes Painted Skin, Perhaps Love and Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace.