The Quiet Migration, the narrative feature debut of director Malene Choi (The Return), has won the prize for best film at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival awarded by Fipresci, the association of international film critics.

The Quiet Migration had its world premiere in Berlin in the festival’s Panorama sidebar.

Won Riedel-Clausen stars in the film as the 19-year-old Carl, born in South Korea, who lives a quiet life in the Danish countryside with his Danish adoptive parents. His parents expect him to take over the family farm and continue with their traditions. But Carl also feels drawn to his native homeland and is caught between two worlds. Bodil Jørgensen and Bjarne Henriksen co-star.

“I feel very honored and I want to thank the jury for this generous recognition,” said Malene Choi in a statement. “This film is about how it feels to be a body out of place and about the need to belong.”

The Quiet Migration marks Choi’s narrative debut after the 2018 hybrid doc-fiction The Return, which looks at similar issues around transnational adoption.

Choi co-wrote the film’s script together with Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen. Maria Møller Kjeldgaard produced for Manna Film. Paradis is handling distribution for The Quiet Migration in Denmark, and Mer Film in Norway. TrustNordisk is selling the film worldwide.

The International Federation of Film Critics, or Fipresci, is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world dedicated to the “promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests.” They present awards at most major “A-list” festivals worldwide.