Kim Ki Duk's movie 'Pieta' was officially awarded the Golden Lion Award, the highest recognition, at the 69th Venice Film Festival.

'Pieta' was chosen among 18 movies that were up for competition to be given the highest reward. This is the first win for a Korean movie. 

It's also the first time that a Korean movie received an award at all three of the Venice, Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals. 

Kim Ki Duk had promised that if he won the award, that he would sing the song, "Arirang," and as promised, he did. 

Pieta is a movie that shows the humanity that exists in a contemporary society that is ruled by capitalism and its negative effects and whether there are any hopes of rescuing humanity. The foreign press praised it saying, "A violent but beautiful Korean movie shook Venice." 

The movie won three other unofficial awards from critics and reporters, which made it a strong contender for the highest honor.

Cho Min Su, who was the female lead, was not able to win the Best Actress award, an award that Kang Soo Yeon won in 1987. The Best Actress went to Israeli actress Hadas Yaron.

The Silver Lion Award, given to a director, was given to Paul Thomas Anderson for 'The Master.' The Best Actor award was given to Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman for 'The Master.'