Home / Arts and Entertainment / Female-Led Crime Noir 'Project Y' Wins Big at London East Asia Film Fest
Female-Led Crime Noir 'Project Y' Wins Big at London East Asia Film Fest
3 Nov
Summary
- 'Project Y' wins Best Film Award at 10th London East Asia Film Festival
- Film centers on two childhood friends planning a daring heist for freedom
- Jury praises the film's fresh take on noir, focusing on women's experiences
Last month, the 10th London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) honored Director Lee Hwan's crime noir film 'Project Y' with the Best Film Award. The jury was mesmerized by the film's fresh take on the noir genre, which centers the experiences of two women, Mi-sun (Han So-hee) and Do-kyung (Jeon Jong-seo), as they plan a daring heist to escape their impoverished reality.
Set against the glamorous yet gritty backdrop of Seoul's Gangnam nightlife, 'Project Y' follows the two childhood friends in their early thirties as they scheme to steal 8 billion KRW in hidden cash and gold bars. Their goal is to use this one last chance at freedom to break free from the harshness of their lives. However, their plan unleashes a chain of events filled with tension, moral ambiguity, and shifting loyalties.
The festival jury praised 'Project Y' for subverting traditional noir tropes by placing the female perspective and agency at the core of the story. The film navigates themes of ambition, survival, and ethical complexity through its strong, complex women characters, offering new possibilities for Asian cinema's storytelling landscape.
