Vietnam Women's Union

Expatriate siblings Doan Minh Phuong and Doan Thanh Nghia won the award at the eight-day festival, which wrapped up on Dec. 16.

The IFFK 2005 showcased more than 300 films in different categories from all over the world.

Bride of Silence was among the 14 features taking part in the competition section for the prestigious Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) award.

One of the first films in Vietnam about women’s rights, Bride of Silence tells the story about a young woman, Ly An, who was ostracized and expelled from her family and village for becoming pregnant outside of marriage and not revealing the name of the father.

Most of the film, set in a pottery village of 200 years ago, was filmed in rural areas and historic sites in northern Vietnam between 2001 and 2004.

The film also won a special jury prize at the 34th Rotterdam International Film Festival in February 2005 and competed for the Golden Zenith award for the best first work of fiction by a director at the Montreal World Film Festival in Canada in August.

The IFFK’s highest award, the Golden Crow Pheasant, went to Stolen Life directed by Li Shaohong from China.

Kekexili, also from China, walked away with the Silver Crow Pheasant award for best director for the film Mountain Patrol.

The audience voted Mountain Patrol as the best film in the competition category that featured 14 films from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The special jury award at the IFFK went to Japanese film Hi Bi: Days of Fire by Banmei Takahashi.