'Madeo' (Mother) Republic of Korea
Actress: Kim Hye-ja
Kim Hye-ja is the star of The Rustic Diary, one of the longest running and most beloved television series in Korean history (1980 – 2002). Her numerous television credits include Mom’s Dead Upset (2008), Chief Hong’s Autumn (2004) and Rose and the Beanstalk (1999). Her role in the 1982 feature film, Late Autumn, saw her receive the Best Actress award at the Manila Film Festival. For most Koreans, Kim Hye-ja is an icon of motherhood and its virtues, but Bong Joon-ho, the writer-director of Mother, saw another facet to the actress. He conceived the story of Mother to capture her little recognised psychological intensity and to illuminate the unseen power in the destructive side of her personality. With this film, the veteran actress has completely subverted the almost sacred maternal image she helped construct over the last 30 years and Bong Joon-ho has crafted the role of a lifetime for a great actress who has devoted her life to the craft.