Korean cinema just wrote history when the 92nd Academy Awards saw the first ever non-English speaking film win best picture and three other awards.
Parasite (기생충 in Korean) has swept all the major awards this past season and critics and theater goers all love this multi-genre story of a clash between the dirt poor and the super rich.
As someone who’s been an advocate for Korean culture for several years, I’m insanely proud that a Korean movie has received such international recognition. A lot of the articles have been tone-deaf though, focusing on North Korea and its nuclear weapons (although we all know that it has nothing to do with art and South Korean cinema). Other ignorant journalists have instead managed to mention the Oscar win in passing and then go on to write about Korea’s struggles with the new Corona virus.
May I kindly suggest that the media let their journalists research unfamiliar topics before writing some random article that reads as if they just pulled it out of their a**?! (Yes, Associated Press, I’m looking at YOU!)
It’s obviously great that the world media is paying attention to Korea but Korea is so much more than nuclear weapons and deadly viruses and I would have loved a more nuanced message.
Anyway, yay on this great win which will hopefully help pave the way for even more Korean masterpieces.
Have you seen Parasite yet? Watch the official trailer here:
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