'Parasite' Earns Historic Best Motion Picture Win and More at the 2020 Academy Awards
At the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on February 9, South Korean film Parasite took home Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and lastly, became the first foreign-language film to win the biggest award of the night, Best Motion Picture! Producer Kwak Sin-ae delivered a beautiful speech on how the support from moviegoers and audiences all over the world gave the film a chance to make history at that moment.
During the red carpet event, director Bong Joon-ho and his translator Sharon Choi talked about being excited and calm prior to the ceremony, not knowing his film would soon attract BIG wins at the Academy Awards. While the remaining two of the film’s six nominations (Best Production Design and Best Film Editing) did not pick up wins, Bong Joon-ho, the cast, and the crew were grateful for the nominations and the chance to attend the award show. Director Bong even stated that he looked forward to drinking until the next morning — and he should after these amazing wins!
At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Parasite’s unanimous Palme d’Or win was just the beginning of numerous accolades. Post-Cannes, it received praise from moviegoers all over the world. Parasite and the team that helped create the film were nominated for prestigious award shows such as the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the British Academy Film Awards.
An important takeaway from Bong Joon-ho’s speeches and interviews from Parasite’s success is that art is a universal force that unites. People are overcoming language barriers to watch a film, proving that cinema plays a great role in bringing people together. He wants creators within the film industry to follow their aspirations by being personal with their work, and hopes to be an inspiration to future filmmakers, just as he addressed his inspiration of Martin Scorsese’s work during his speech for Best Director.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Parasite series on HBO from Director Bong and director-producer Adam Mckay (Hustlers)! The limited series will tie in with the film, and while the work is in its early stages, audiences and fans all over the world are eager to see how the series will come out.
Congratulations to Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Sin-ae, the cast, the crew, and everyone involved with Parasite!
Cover Image: Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Sin-ae, and Parasite cast
Written by Jenna Tokioka
