Aparna Sen’s The Rapist (2022), produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Quest Films, has won the Kim Jiseok award at the 26th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.
The film, which was premiered in the A Window on Asian Cinema section, deals “with the complex themes of crime, punishment and restorative justice through the prism of class dynamics”.
Starring Konkona Sensharma, Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania, The Rapist examines the aftermath of sexual violence with both the survivor and the perpetrator.
On the film’s win, Aparna Sen said, “I feel deeply humbled, grateful and overwhelmed as I accept this prestigious Kim Jiseok award. I would like to thank everyone at Busan IFF, the jury, the organizers and, of course, the audience for conferring this honour upon me.”
She added, “This award has a special significance for me because I was in Busan as a jury member many years ago and I had the honour of meeting Mr Kim in person. I was aware of Mr Kim’s tireless, lifelong effort to promote Asian cinema throughout the world.
“I take this opportunity to thank my producers, Applause Entertainment and Quest Films, who put their might behind me and supported me all the way. And, of course, my very talented cast and crew who helped me make my vision a reality.”
Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause Entertainment, said, “We are jubilant to learn that our first feature film, directed by the incredible Aparna Sen, has received this distinguished honour. To be nominated amongst such a fine list of films was a privilege, and this win reaffirms the faith we had in Aparna’s story since we first heard it. We are happy to have partnered with Quest Films and are hopeful that the esteemed Kim Jiseok award at Busan will help take The Rapist to a wider, global audience.”
Suchhanda Chatterjee and Shubha Shetty of Quest Films Pvt Ltd added, “We feel thrilled and honoured at being part of a film of this kind. With the kind of story it has and knowing the passion with which Aparna Sen works, this will be a film that will be remembered for a long time. Winning the prestigious Kim Jiseok award just makes us believe it all the more. We are thankful to Applause for backing our dream project.”
This year’s edition of the Busan festival was held from 6–15 October.