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In a stunning victory at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, the KBS 1TV documentary ‘The Japanese Man, Ozawa’ clinched the Educational Program Award, spotlighting the life and struggles of the Ozawa couple who devoted their lives to supporting Korean workers. Held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, on the evening of May 7, the documentary emerged victorious against notable nominees including SBS’s ‘The Whale and I’, EBS1’s ‘Population Mega-Project: Ultra-Low Birthrate’, KBS1’s ‘There is No Sustainable Earth’, and KBS1’s ‘1980, Rochon and Shovel’.
Director Lee Ho-kyung, who spent three years filming the documentary in Japan, expressed his deep gratitude, stating, “This small documentary, which I filmed alone in Japan over three years, is a challenging achievement. The award rightfully belongs to the music director and sound director who breathed new life into this humble footage.” He further highlighted the significance of the Ozawa couple, the documentary’s main subjects, who have supported Korean workers for the past 35 years and mentioned that Mr. Ozawa is facing an appellate trial next week, hoping the award would serve as a significant encouragement.
The Baeksang Arts Awards is a unique ceremony in South Korea that honors outstanding achievements across TV, film, and theater. This year’s judging covered content provided by terrestrial, comprehensive, cable, OTT, and web platforms from April 1 of the previous year to March 31, as well as Korean feature films and theater performances released domestically during the same period.
Last year’s grand prize winners, including director Park Chan-wook and actors Park Eun-bin, Lee Sung-min, Song Hye-kyo, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Tang Wei, returned as presenters, adding to the event’s prestige. As the industry looks forward to next week’s trial and future projects from the award-winning team, ‘The Japanese Man, Ozawa’ stands as a testament to the power of documentary filmmaking and the enduring spirit of humanity’s support across national boundaries.