South Korean film directors Kim Ki-duk won the Golden Lion award for best film at the 69th Venice International Film Festival for his film “Pieta” on September 8th.

It was the first time a South Korean film won the top award from any of the three major film festivals, including the French Cannes Film Festival and Germany’s Berlin International Film Festival.

The feat was also achieved in over 50 years since South Korean films were first formally introduced to international audiences at these film festivals.

“Pieta” sheds light on the darker side of capitalism and touched on the salvation of a man cornered in an extreme situation.

The film was expected to be one of the final candidates for the Golden Lion as it had won three informal awards at the festival ahead of the official awards ceremony, including the Young Critics’ Award.