In 2006 , he and Lee Hae-young co-wrote and co-directed the coming-of-age film '' Like a Virgin '' , in which Ryu Deok-hwan played an overweight trans woman teenager who idolizes Madonna and joins the high school ssireum team , hoping to use the prize money , if they win the national tournament , for sex change surgery . The filmmakers gained praise for their directorial debut and its sensitive portrayal of a potentially controversial subject , which resulted in several nominations and awards , including Best New Director ( s ) at the 7th Busan Film Critics Awards , Best Screenplay and Best New Director ( s ) at the 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards , Best New Director ( s ) at the 5th Korean Film Awards , and Best Screenplay at the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards . '' Like a Virgin '' was also invited to international film festivals , including the Generation section of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival , and the 20th Singapore International Film Festival where it won the NETPAC Award
27th Blue Dragon Film Awards
27th Blue Dragon Film Awards
Lee Hae-jun