Steel Flower
Steel Flower (Korean: 스틸 플라워; RR: Seutil Peulrawo) is a 2015 South Korean film starring Jeong Ha-dam. Written and directed by Park Suk-young, it depicts the story of a young homeless girl struggling to make a living in Busan.[1]
| Steel Flower | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Park Suk-young |
| Produced by | Bak Seong-jin |
| Written by | Park Suk-young |
| Starring | Jeong Ha-dam |
| Music by | Kim Dong-ki |
| Cinematography | Park Hyeong-ik Oh Tae-Seung |
| Edited by | Cho hyun-ju |
| Distributed by | IndieStory Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
It made its world premiere at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in 2015. Since then, it has won numerous awards.[2]
Plot
A young homeless girl, Ha-dam, moves to Busan in the hopes of finding work, only to be rebuffed at every turn.
Cast
- Jeong Ha-dam as Ha-dam
- Kim Tae-hee as Japanese restaurant owner
- Yu An as a woman who "hires" but fails to pay Ha-dam to hand out advertising leaflets
- Park Myung-hoon as seafood restaurant owner
- Choi Moon-soo as a woman who has an ugly physical confrontation Ha-dam
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 41st Seoul Independent Film Festival[2] | Grand Prize | Steel Flower | Won |
| Independent Star Award | Jeong Ha-dam | Won | ||
| Marrakech International Film Festival[2] | Special Jury Prize | Steel Flower | Won | |
| 2016 | 13th Florence Korea Film Fest[3] | Best Film (Independent) | Won | |
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards[4] | Best New Actress (Film) | Jeong Ha-dam | Nominated | |
| 36th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best New Actress | Won | ||
| 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actress | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | 4th Wildflower Film Awards | Best Actress | Won |
Reception
Jeong Ha-dam was praised for her performance: Variety's Richard Kuipers: "Jeong succeeds marvelously with a compelling and sympathetic performance as the lost and badly damaged soul."[5] and Marrakech International Film Festival's review by Raffi Asdourian: "Jeong Ha-dam's powerful breakthrough performance elevates Steel Flower into a higher stratosphere than the narrative deserves."[6]
Twitch Film's Pierce Conran said of Steel Flower: "Steel Flower doesn't go near as far as it could, yet it still leaves an impression."[7]
References
- "Steel Flower (2016)". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Conran, Pierce (15 December 2015). "STEEL FLOWER Wins Marrakesh Jury Prize in Split Decision". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Conran, Pierce (29 March 2016). "Grand Prizes for MADONNA, STEEL FLOWER in Florence". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- "52nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2016 - Movies : Nominees List". Hancinema. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Kuipers, Richard (4 October 2015). "Busan Film Review: Steel Flower". Variety. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Asdourian, Raffi (8 December 2015). "Marrakech Review: Steel Flower". Marrakech International Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Conran, Pierce (3 October 2015). "Busan 2015 Review: STEEL FLOWER Offers Wilted View Of Korean Youth". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2016-05-16.