[Movie 2019] Parasite, 기생충 - First Korean film to win Palme D'or, Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA, and Oscars

[sadiesmith]

Parasite 기생충 2019 

Release date: May 30, 2019

 

 

 

From Asianwiki:

• Director: Bong Joon-Ho
• Writer: Bong Joon-Ho
• Producer:
• Cinematographer: Hong Kyung-Pyo
• World Premiere: May 21, 2019 (Cannes Film Festival)
• Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Runtime: 131 min.
• Genre: Drama / Family
• Distributor: CJ Entertainment
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

 

Cast

Ki-Taek's Family

Song Kang-Ho	Jang Hye-Jin	Choi Woo-Sik	Park So-Dam
Ki-Taek	Choong-Sook	Ki-Woo	Ki-Jung

 

 

Mr. Park's Family

Lee Sun-Kyun	Cho Yeo-Jeong	Jung Ji-So	Jeong Hyun-Jun
Mr. Park	Yeon-Kyo	Da-Hye	Da-Song

 

Other

Lee Jung-Eun

Moon-Gwang

 

Additional Cast Members:

• Park Seo-Joon - Ki-Woo's friend (cameo)
• Lee Ji-Hye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rubie]

 

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !

 

 

May 26, 2019

 

Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” Becomes 1st Korean Film Ever To Win Palme D’Or At Cannes Film Festival

Source: Soompi by E. Cha

 

 

Director Bong Joon Ho’s new movie “Parasite” has just made Korean film history!

 

On May 25 local time, “Parasite” won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, making it the first Korean film ever to snag the historic film festival’s top prize.

 

According to Cannes jury president Alejandro Inarritu, the nine-person jury’s decision to award “Parasite” the Palme d’Or was “unanimous.”

 

The film, which marks Bong Joon Ho’s second film ever to be featured In Competition at Cannes (his first was the critically-acclaimed 2017 film “Okja”), tells the story of Gi Taek (played by Song Kang Ho) and his family, who are all unemployed. When his eldest son Gi Woo (played by Choi Woo Shik) begins tutoring the daughter of a wealthy man named Park (played by Lee Sun Gyun) and his wife (Jo Yeo Jeong), the two families start to interact in unexpected ways.

 

While accepting the award, Bong Joon Ho remarked, “The film ‘Parasite’ was a surprising risk. The reason that I was able to make this movie was the artists that worked together with me.” He added, “Above all else, I would not have been able to film a single scene without these great actors. Thank you to the actors.”

 

Jury president Alejandro Inarritu later commented, “Cinema must try to raise the global social conscience. We shared the mystery of the unexpected way this film took us through different genres, speaking in a funny, humorous, and tender way of no judgment of something so relevant and urgent and so global.”

 

Congratulations to the film’s cast and crew!

Source (1) (2) (3)

Top Photo Credit: Xportsnews

[sadiesmith]

Bong Joon Ho’s Cannes Win For ‘Parasite’ Crowns First-Rate Year For Korean Film

Joan MacDonald 

Contributor

Hollywood & Entertainment  I'm a journalist fascinated by Korean drama and film.

 

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2019/05/27/bong-joon-hos-cannes-win-for-parasite-crowns-first-rate-year-for-korean-film/#b1315b53923d

Park So Dam and Choi Woo Sik are scheming siblings in Bong Joon Ho's film 'Parasite.'

CJ ENTERTAINMENT

 

2019 has already been a wildly successful year for Korean film. In January the New York Times named Korean actor Yoo Ah In as one of 2018's 12 best actors for his role in Lee Chang Dong’s film Burning, which also made the Academy Awards shortlist for best foreign film. On May 25 director Bong Joon Ho made cinematic history by winning the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for his suspenseful dark comedy Parasite.

It was not only a win for the celebrated director of The Host, Memories of Murder, Okja and Snowpiercer, but a national achievement, since Parasite was the first ever Korean film to win the grand prize at Cannes.

At a press conference after the ceremony, Bong said, “It is the 100th anniversary of cinema in Korea this year. I think that Cannes has given Korean cinema a great gift."

 

Parasite tells the story of two families, one of which develops a parasitic relationship with the other. One family is wealthy, but occasionally clueless, while the other tries to scheme their way out of their seemingly hopeless poverty. The son of the poor family, played by actor Choi Woo Sik, counterfeits the credentials that enable him to tutor the child of the rich family. He soon schemes a place in the lives of his benefactors for other members of his own family.

Parasites can co-exist peacefully with their hosts, proposes Bong’s multi-genre tale, even feed happily off them, performing necessary functions, but they can also completely transform their hosts.

[rubie]

Thanks @sadiesmith for starting the thread for this highly-acclaimed movie, we sure need a soompi thread to share all about PARASITE ~

 

 Some of the earlier pre-production updates of the movie (from Song Kang Ho thread)

 

July 13, 2017

 

Best actor-director team plan new film

 

By Kim Jung-kyoon INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

 

Actor Song Kang-ho, who has had a successful track record working with director Bong Joon-ho, who recently directed the controversial film “Okja,” will once again collaborate with the director in the upcoming film “Parasite.”

 

Song and Bong first worked together in “Memories of Murder” (2003) and have also worked in the blockbusters “The Host” and “Snowpiercer.” These classics have elevated the reputation of Song and Bong as the best actor-director team in the industry. 

 

Song said on Wednesday, “I am very excited to work on ‘Parasite’ and with Bong once again.”

 

“Bong is so meticulous and careful that I haven’t received an official synopsis yet. I have only heard about the movie through his description, but I believe the movie is very powerful and will send waves around Korea,” said Song. 

 

Song is currently finalizing filming of “Drug Lord” set to be released in summer of 2018. The Bong-directed flick will start shooting in spring 2018.

June 11, 2018

 

BONG Joon-ho’s PARASITE Enters Production

Return to Korean-Language Filmmaking for Local Master after 10 Years

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

Spoiler

 

 

Acclaimed Korean filmmaker BONG Joon-ho recently began production on his seventh feature film Parasite, which will be his first fully Korean-set film in a decade. Led by local star SONG Kang-ho, the CJ Entertainment-produced drama kicked off production in mid-May and is due for release in 2019.

 

SONG will play the patriarch in a family of four, but beyond that, little is known about the project. JANG Hye-jin, who had small roles in LEE Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine (2007) and YOON Ga-eun’s The World of Us (2016), will play the mother of the family unit while PARK So-dam (The Priests, 2015) and CHOI Woo-shik (Okja, 2017) are on board as the children.

 

Following last year’s smash hit A Taxi Driver (2017) from director JANG Hun, SONG will next be seen in The Drug King by Inside Men (2015) director WOO Min-ho, which is due for release towards the end of this year. Also taking part in the production are LEE Sun-kyun (A Hard Day, 2014) and JO Yeo-jeong (The Treacherous, 2015) in unspecified roles. 

 

Known for his rich local genre films such as serial killer thriller Memories of Murder (2003), often considered one of the best Korean films of all time, and his creature feature The Host (2006), which held the title of most successful Korean film of all time for eight years, BONG exploded on the international stage with his English-language sci-fi opus Snowpiercer in 2013. He next partnered with Netflix for the environmental action-drama Okja, which debuted in competition at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

 

 

October 29, 2018

 

BONG Joon-ho's PARASITE Wraps Production
SONG Kang-ho-Led Drama Due Out in First Half of 2019

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

 

Spoiler

 

Following a pair of high profile English-language projects, director BONG Joon-ho has returned to home ground for his seventh project, the Korean language Parasite. The film reunited him with SONG Kang-ho, and also features LEE Sun-kyun, JO Yeo-jeong, PARK So-dam and CHOI Woo-shik. Distributor CJ Entertainment revealed on October 23 that the project had completed production following a total of 77 shooting days.

 

SONG, who has appeared in BONG’s previous works Memories Of Murder (2003), The Host (2006) and Snowpiercer (2013), plays father to a brother and sister played by CHOI Woo-shik (who featured in Okja) and PARK So-dam (The Priests, 2015). LEE Sun-kyun (A Hard Day, 2014) plays the head of an IT company while JO Yeo-jeong (Obsessed, 2014) appears as his wife. Specific details remain under wraps but the story is said to focus on a disaster that befalls SONG’s family.  

 

BONG is coming off his largest project to date, the Netflix-financed sci-fi Okja, which bowed in competition at the Cannes Film Festival last year and featured local actress AHN Seo-hyun surrounded by global stars such as Tilda SWINTON, Jake GYLLENHAAL, Paul DANO and Steven YEUN. 

 

The film will be released at some point in the first half of 2019, with many speculating that it could vie for another competition slot at the Cannes Film Festival.

 

 

[sadiesmith]

Parasite broke through the 7 million viewers mark.

 

 

[rubie]

Pre-Cannes review ..

 

April 22, 2019

 

Bong Joon-ho’s new film ‘Parasite,’ Cannes nominee, to show extremes of Korean society

 

By Im Eun-byel The Korea Herald

       
Film director Bong Joon-ho’s new work “Parasite,” slated to compete at Cannes this year, features two ordinary families in different situations. 

 

Bong’s new film has been included in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival’s feature selection, marking the director’s second time competing for the Palme d’Or, following “Okja” in 2017. 

“Parasite” (CJ ENM)

 

Film director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at The Westin Chosun Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

 

“(Including the noncompetitive selections), it is my fifth time to be invited to Cannes. It is a pleasure to screen my new work at the hottest, the most passionate place for film,” Bong said at a press conference at The Westin Chosun Seoul on Monday. 

 

Of his chances of receiving an award at the international film festival in mid-May, Bong said he did not have high expectations but that he was honored to be on the list of nominees, which also includes directors he has admired since his youth. 

 

“I am not sure if foreigners will be able to understand this film 100 percent. There are elements that only a Korean audience can fully understand. I am looking forward to this movie’s opening in Korea. 

 

“But, of course, the film can also appeal to everyone, regardless of nationality, since the issue of poverty and wealth is a universal one,” the director added. 

 

“Parasite” depicts two families, one affluent and the other living in deep poverty. Despite their differences, both are ordinary, loving families. The two families come into contact as a result of an unexpected incident. 

 

According to Bong, the two families are divided into separate spaces by an invisible yet firm line -- much as in real life, where the poor and the wealthy are divided. 

 

“I thought of the script in the winter of 2013. The working title had been ‘Decalcomania’ for a year,” he said. “I wondered, what would happen if two families in such different environments met each other?” 

 

“Parasite” (CJ ENM)

 

Song Kang-ho, a regular in Bong’s films, stars as the head of the impoverished family. It is Song’s fourth film with Bong, following “Memories of Murder,” “The Host” and “Snowpiercer.” 

 

“Every time, Bong challenges himself with amazing imagination and films with insight,” Song said. He also recalled that with “Parasite,” he’d experienced a similar feeling to the one he got when he received the script for the 2003 film “Memories of Murder.”

 

“‘After 16 years, I think this work will show Bong’s amazing development and the growth of the Korean movie scene,” the veteran actor said. 

 

The film also stars Choi Woo-shik as Song’s son. The 28-year-old, who debuted nine years ago, will be visiting Cannes for the third time, after “Train to Busan” and “Okja.” 

 

In “Parasite,” Choi plays a central character, the one who links the two families. He will be tutoring the daughter of the affluent family and lying about his background. 

 

Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Park So-dam and Jang Hye-jin also star in the film. 

 

“Parasite” hits local theaters in May. 

 

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

 

Cannes-nominated 'Parasite' is full of Korea-specific details, nuances: director
 

By Park Boram

 

Spoiler

 

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- The Cannes-nominated Korean film "Parasite" is full of cinematic details and nuances specific to Koreans but its universal theme of class division will strike a chord with foreign audiences as well, director Bong Joon-ho said Monday.

 

The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival announced last week that "Parasite" will compete with 18 other movies from all around the world for the highest prize the 72nd edition of the festival, slated for May 14-25.

 

Social class division and family dynamics, subjects broadly dealt with in his previous films, including "The Host" and "Snowpiercer," again feature prominently in "Parasite," which will hit local screens sometime in May.

 

The scenario of "Parasite," written by the director himself, started from an initial idea in 2013. "What would happen if two families that come from extremely different environments and are highly unlikely to come across each other actually meet?" Bong said in a press conference announcing the release of the film.

 

"The film was referred to by its working title for about one year after 2013 -- 'Decalcomanie.' (It is) a story of two different families, one very rich and the other the opposite, coming across each other in a very unique environment," the director said.

 

Song Kang-ho, arguably South Korea's best ticket-selling actor of today and who collaborated with Bong in "Snowpiercer," "The Host" and "Memories of Murder," plays Ki-taek, the chronically unemployed father of the impoverished family, while Lee Sun-kyun plays the very rich, successful head of the other family.

 

The two families meet each other after Ki-taek's son uses a forged university diploma to become a highly paid private tutor for the rich family.

 

Bong described the film as "a tragicomedy dealing with the laughter, the horror and the sorrow of human beings living together."

 

"I hope that this movie could be one that provokes all kinds of different thoughts," the director said. The metaphors in "Parasite" reveal themselves in a wide range of ways, he noted.
 

Spoiler

 

"Parasite" is Bong's fifth film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, including his controversial Netflix movie "Okja."

 

"I am honored and nervous. ... (The Cannes Film Festival) is a place that is exciting, new and tense no matter when I go," he said.

 

"But foreigners, I think, would not be able to grasp (the significance of) the film 100 percent. It's such a Korean film, filled with details and nuances that could only be understood 100 percent when Korean audiences see it," Bong asserted.

 

For Song, the latest collaboration with Bong reminded him of their previous joint work in "Memories of Murder," filmed 16 years ago.

 

"Director Bong is someone who continuously challenges himself to come up with an imaginative, insightful film," the master actor said.

 

"I cautiously think that 'Parasite' is a film that could display surprising progress of the Korean cinematic world," he noted.

 

Choi Woo-shik, a young rising actor who played a supporting role in "Okja," appears as the son of Ki-taek, while Park So-dam plays his no-nonsense daughter.

 

Asked how likely "Parasite" is to win at the Cannes Film Festival, Bong was jokingly dismissive.

 

"The possibility is not high because (the competition) includes films by the immensely great directors I have admired since I started to learn cinema at university," he said. "But the possibility of the actors winning at the event is high," he said.

 

"I might sound self-contradicting, having said that foreigners may not fully understand the Korean nuances and details in the film. But the flip side of it is that the extremely different backgrounds of the two families mirror the globally universal gap between the rich and the poor," the director said. "I think this universal quality could strike a chord with foreign audiences within a single minute of the film's beginning." 

 

pbr@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

 2 more pre-Cannes review:

 

April 23, 2019

 

Award-winning director Bong unveils eerie family tragicomedy

 

By Park Jin-hai The Korea Times

 

Bong Joon-ho, director of the internationally acclaimed films like "Snowpiercer," "The Host" and "Okja," has returned with his new movie "Parasite."

 

The much-anticipated film, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun and Choi Woo-sik, tells the story of two families with extremely different social backgrounds ― a poor jobless household and a wealthy upper-class one. 

 

It is Bong's seventh feature film and first Korean-language movie in 10 years.

Expectations for the new film are running particularly high, after the Cannes Film Festival announced its selection of the film for its 2019 competition, Thursday. This is Bong's second time to compete for the Palme d'Or award. The director's 2017 film "Okja" was previously selected. 

 

Bong, known for his freewheeling cinematic imagination and creativity, tells the story of modern Korean society's class system in the new film. 

 

"Although there is no physical line that divides the living space of the haves and the have-nots, in reality, there is a tacit division between the two classes," the 49-year-old screenwriter and director said during a press conference at the Westin Chosun Seoul, Monday. "Living in the starkly different living boundary, there is nearly no chance for the rich to happen to meet the poor and vice versa. Through Ki-woo, the invisible line gets eliminated and it begins the story that follows."

 

The story starts when the son of the impoverished family, played by Choi, fabricates his educational background and visits the rich family's home for a job interview to work as a tutor for the family's children. 

 

"As the symbiosis or coexistence of human relations crumbles, one has no other choice but to live as a parasite in order to survive. In this sad reality, the poor family's struggle for survival could feel like tragicomedy," Bong said. 

 

The director first came up with the ideal in 2013 and developed the story. 

 

"The initial title for the film was Decalcomania. Like the art technique, I wanted to tell the story of two families, each comprised of four members, but showing a stark contrast," he said. 

 

Veteran actor Song Kang-ho, who is working with the director for the fourth time, will play Ki-taek, the good-natured but jobless father of the poor family. He described his character as like a mollusk. "This ordinary man accepts the situation and reacts in his own ways like a mollusk, sometimes taking extraordinary actions. But, he is not a strange person who is lacking common sense. Rather he is an ordinary father who lives a hard life for his family. With all of his bad luck, he happened to face this incident," Song said. 

 

The actor, who is fondly called the "persona" of director Bong, said audiences can witness the development of Bong's cinematic world. "Each time I work with the director, I feel I owe him for his endless imagination and poignant perspectives. Personally, the scenario this time reminded me of Bong's 2003 Memories of Murder," Song said. "When his past works like The Host and Snowpiercer entertained viewers of that particular genre, Bong's new film is more close to Memories of Murder. Through the film, viewers can witness the advancement of Bong's world and the development of Korean film as well." 

 

Regarding the film's premiere at Cannes, Bong expressed both expectations and concerns. "I think the international audiences at the film festival may not understand every detail of this film, because the story is specific to Korean society. But at the same time, I also feel it shares some common ground, telling the stories of two families at the extreme end of the haves and the have-nots." 

 

The director hopes his film will "provoke many questions and thoughts in audiences" after they walk out of the theaters.

 

"Parasite" will premiere during the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off on May 14, and will be released here later that month. 

 

 Guess 'Parasite' plot with 12 still images [PHOTOS]

 

 

April 24, 2019

 

Families come together in ‘Parasite’

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

From left, director Bong Joon-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Cho Yeo-jeong, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun and Song Kang-ho pose for a photo at a press conference held at The Westin Chosun hotel in central Seoul on Monday. [CJ ENTERTAINMENT]

 

Only time will tell if director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming film “Parasite” will win the Palme d’Or at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, but Bong wouldn’t bet on it. At an event held on Monday at The Westin Chosun hotel in central Seoul, the director said that his film “is highly unlikely to win.” 

 

Bong’s latest film has drawn the attention of the film industry ever since it received an invite from the prestigious film festival. It is the only Korean film competing for the award this year. Moreover, it is the director’s first Korean-language movie in 10 years. Both “Snowpiercer” (2013) and “Okja” (2017) mixed both English and Korean dialogue and featured international casts with the likes of Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeun and Chris Evans. 

 

Both films touched on complicated aspects of contemporary society such as social hierarchies and family dynamics, and his new movie is no exception. 

 

In the film, the audience is introduced to an extremely poor family that lives in a half-basement apartment with little sunlight, and a filthy rich family that lives in an unobstructed mansion at the top of a hill. Living on such opposite ends of society, there seems to be no way that the two families’ paths would ever cross. The movie tells the story of how the two families become intertwined. 

 

“Although the two families have lived very different lives, when we look at them more closely, their lives may not be all that different, and may even mirror each other,” Bong explained. 

 

The director also shared why his hopes were not very high for winning the award. “The actors were perfect for their roles, which is why I think they have a decent chance to win individual awards,” Bong said. “However, when I saw whom I was up against, I knew my chances were very slim because there were works by directors I’ve admired ever since I started studying cinema during my college years.” 

 

The second reason, Bong said, was because he thought the story of the film would not appeal to an international audience. “For overseas theatergoers, it may be hard for them to comprehend the film 100 percent because there are specific details that may only draw empathy from Korean audiences.” 

 

Bong told the press that the inspiration behind his latest work came in 2013, when an acquaintance suggested a movie idea about two completely opposite families coming together due to an incident. 

 

After he wrote the script, casting became like fitting together pieces of a puzzle as Bong met with actors one on one to ask them to play roles he had already laid out for them. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Song Kang-ho was first asked to play Ki-taek, the father of an extremely poor family. This is Song’s fourth film with Bong - he has also appeared in “Memories of Murder” (2003), “The Host” (2006) and “Snowpiercer.” 

 

Bong personally referred to Song as “a person he could rely on the most.” With Song, Bong said that he can become more daring and challenge himself to try more new things.

 

“Regardless of his role, no matter how small or how big, Song manages to determine the entire flow of the film,” Bong said. “That’s how unrivaled his presence is [in the films].”

 

The other actors also chipped in to recollect how they received the offer from the filmmaker. Bong asked actor Choi Woo-shik to “keep his body slim” at the “Okja” after-party. On the other hand, the director asked Jang Hye-jin to fatten up to fit into the role. “After I had gained 5 kilograms [11 pounds], I asked [the director] if it would be enough [while we were having a meal together],” Jang said. “Without saying anything, Bong slid the side dishes over to my side and said, ‘Please eat more.’” Jang revealed that she gained a total of 15 kilograms for her role. 

 

The director wanted the characters’ personalities and lives to be as close to real life as possible, which is why there aren’t any “real” villains or ultimate evil in the story. “You could be anyone in the film,” Song added. “Which is why the story is a tragedy as well as a comedy, because we often see the two overlap in real life as well.” 

 

In his closing remarks, Bong admittedly contradicted what he said at the beginning of the press event. “Although [the film] contains details [that may only be spotted by Koreans], its focus on families, about the rich and the poor, are omnipresent all around the world.” 

 

The 72nd Cannes Film Festival will run from May 14 to 25. The film is slated to make its world premiere at the festival, although the exact date has not yet been set. The film’s local release will be at the end of May.

 

 

 

 

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]

[rubie]

Photos: CINE21 via CJ Entertainment

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[sadiesmith]

Jo Yeo-jeong - CEO Park's wife

 

 

 

Translation courtesy of fan from Open Thread on Dramabeans.

 

One of actresses who has been under spotlight this week is Jo Yeo-jeong who starred in the movie "Parasite", the Cannes winner. Jo also showed impressive acting in the drama "Beautiful World" which just ended (I'm happy with this year's drama offering already thanks to this drama). I haven't seen her interview for Beautiful World, but there were plenty for the movie. I am glad she finally got spotlight- It's about time. It seems she has played similar roles (rich man's perfect wife) recently even though the character's personality and incidents were different (The perfect wife, Parasite, Beautiful World- all were not easy characters to play-psycho, comical, panicky)

 

Per wiki and namuwiki, Jo Yeo-jeong(38) debuted as model for Magazine Ceci in 1997. Her first movie debut was "A Perfect Match" in 2002, and first drama debut was "Three men, three women" in 1998. She was once known as 'Goddess' to major league fans. In 2005 when the sport cable broadcasting co. Exports started, there was not much content and not much advertisements, Songwol Towel commercial where Jo was the model kept appearing, ended up making Jo popular among sports fans.

 

Jo was under the spotlight in 2010 starring in the erotic saguek film "The Servant". It had been turned down by a few actresses because of many bed scenes, but Jo took it and it turned out to be a big stepping stone in her career. She appeared in another erotic film "The Concubine" in 2012. About these projects Jo said she was worried that she might become an actress who would only show her face in commercial or magazine without having any major project, so she was thankful for being able to play the lead in these projects. "I thought exposure was necessary when I read the scenarios, and I liked the project as the whole, so I didn't feel too special and filmed without any burden. I was worried that I would not be able to express my feelings fully, because I was very nervous about the fact that I took off clothes." She also showed her confidence. "It's not a bad thing and only natural for the public wanting to see an actress to take off clothes, and if people come to the theater for that reason, I am confident to make them realize my naked acting is only part of my charm." But Jo criticized that the press, among all, was wrong to pay too much attention only to the exposure of the actress. (Yay!)

 

In 2011, Jo starred in cable series "I Need Romance", a sexually frank and funny comedy about three single 30-something girlfriends. In 2014, Jo was selected as PR model for Delta Air Lines for Korea. In 2015, she appeared in the movie "Working Girl", which failed in both box office and criticism. After this she did not appear in the movie for four years. Then in 2017, Jo appeared in the drama Perfect Wife(KBS). Originally, this drama was promoted as a comeback project for Ko So-young for the first time in 10 years, but as the show progressed, Jo playing Lee Eun-hee received unexpected attention with her acing skill. She received the Excellence award in the KBS year-end award ceremony for her role. In 2019, she returned to the screen with the film "Parasite", and enjoyed the honor of stepping the red carpet, invited to the Cannes Film Festival.

 

Jo is an actress with steady self-management with jogging and climbing in the dawn, and swim and yoga exercise. Known as glamour actress, Jo participated in the production of functional apple cushion with JH International, a sports and leisure goods company, and also acted as a PR model. In 2013, as an actress with 16 years of acting experience, she published a photobook called "Jo Yeo-jeong's Healing Beauty" which shared her feelings and experiences while managing her body, skin and mental health.

 

Here is short interview. [newsen.com, chosun.com, 2019.05.23]

 

 

"Parasite" is a story about two (rich and poor) families in which all(things went out of control with various events) started when good-for-nothing son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) in Ki-Taek family entered president Park (Lee Sun-kyun)'s house. Jo played a beautiful wife Yeon-kyo of President Park who was responsible for household affairs, and had a simple personality, easily trusting others.

 

When the movie was over, the audience gave a round of applause for eight minutes. "It was very emotional when we got standing ovation for such long time. I felt overwhelmed when the official screening was presented. I was grateful for the moment, and I applauded for director-nim. I did not realize when other works invited were applauded, but this time I felt "Oh everyone applaud with this mind.", said Jo. "I saw it once at the technology preview in Korea but when I watched it second time, I liked it even better. As the actors walked to the hotel, we kept saying "I liked it" vaguely. I felt that the situation was so unrealistic at the moment. I thought the camera was surely to catch Bong Joon-ho(director) or Song Kang-ho (lead actor), and didn't know I was on it that much. I should've worked on my face expression."

 

 

After the movie "Working Girl" (2015), it has been 4 years Jo stayed away from the big screen. "No matter what my screen time was, I said I'd love it regardless." "Since there are not many opportunities for actresses in my age can show, I thought it was very good just to be in the cast. And I thought that director-nim wanted to take out my new side I did not show in the previous projects, so I said, "I'll do it no matter what". Then I thought- "Can I do well?" "I have to do well.", "I am in big trouble.".

 

"When I read the scenario, I couldn't hate any characters. So I was curious. There was no bad people in president Park's family, but on the other hand it was very sad." Her character was the general manager responsible for managing Park's mansion as his wife and the amount of her acting was significant. "I thought I would like to appear if I could show a different part from my image even if it is short, but I had a lot of screen time. In the movie, Yeon-kyo was talkative character. Because there were too many lines, I thought I was in trouble when I received the scenarios. But it was not the dialog with meaning or serious, and it was just babbling, so I thought I might be able to make that part fun working with director-nim.  She was a character who lived raising her children in an economical setup her husband provided. We can actually see those people around, you see. I built the character while observing such people."

 

 

Jo said that her acting seemed to get a little stronger because of acting with the outstanding actors. "In the past I felt like I wanted to go on a trip after a project, because I did the project by squeezing hard, but I felt so calm after wrapping up the movie." She laughed, "I felt "Oh, There is a project like this." I gained much energy from it. Thanks to that, I think I was able to start the new drama "Beautiful World" right away."

 

About both drama and movie receiving favorable response, Jo said, "I am very happy and pleased to receive praise, but nowadays it doesn't seem that is everything. When I was young, I was very happy when I got complements for my acting vaguely, but nowadays I am not. I have many worries. I asked to myself "Why is that?". When I was a child, I thought that I would be happy when I grow up, but when I became an adult, that was not the case-I was not all happy. Maybe it is the same."

 

[widala]

 

After twelve days of availability in wide release, "Parasite"has amassed 7.2 million admissions. Though impressive, the film has nonetheless come under fire for receiving unusually high representation in screenings following its Palme d'Or win, which may have artifically improved its box office performance, as consumers did not have other options in favorable timeslots.

On its first day of availability "Parasite" appeared on 1,783 screens across South Korea. By the second day this had boosted to 1,947 screenings. Its occupancy rate per screening was 60.4%, and screenings of "Parasite"made up 53.1% of all screenings across the country.

By June 6th the occupancy rate was down to 59.8%. While still strong, "Parasite" was vastly outperformed on this metric by Disney's "Aladdin" remake, with a rate of 75.6%. This outcome was especially surprising, as "Aladdin" had released a full week before "Parasite". "Aladdin" broke the million viewer mark in its third weekend, having failed to break eight hundred thousand viewers in either of its first two weekends, and has now achieved over four million cumulative viewers.

"Aladdin" is probably benefiting from being the only widely distributed movie right now with an all ages rating designating it as appropriate for children. "Parasite" has also come under fire for being granted a 15 rating, appropriate for those above that age, even though the movie features a dry sex scene and some fairly shocking violence.

"Parasite" is in a peculiar position politically. Legislation is actively being proposed to cap screening rates from exceeding 50% or even 40% thresholds. However, as an artistic film that has gained international recognition, "Parasite" is nominally the kind of film such legislation would be expected to benefit, while in this case the local high brow favorite is being pushed over the international corporatized mainstream movie.

Written by William Schwartz

[rubie]

 

Clips & Photos: CJ Entertainment

 

May 22, 2019

 

‘Parasite’ has its Cannes premiere

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” held its world premiere on Tuesday evening at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. 

 

The screening took place at the famous Grand Theatre Lumiere. “Parasite” followed the premiere of another International Competition entry, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” directed by Quentin Tarantino. 

 

Before the film began, Bong and the cast of the film - including Choi Woo-shik, Cho Yeo-jeong, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun and Song Kang-ho - walked the red carpet.

 

Lee Mi-kyung, vice president of entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M and executive producer of the film, was also in attendance. Lee last visited Cannes in 2009 to support “Thirst” by director Park Chan-wook and “Mother” by Bong. 

 

“Parasite” is about two different families from opposite social classes coming together when a brother and a sister from a poor family deceive a rich family and start working as private tutors for their kids.

 

By Lee Jae-lim

 

[rubie]

 

May 22, 2019

 

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' receives standing ovation at Cannes

CANNES, France, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival Tuesday (local time), with the director getting an eight-minute standing ovation.

 

The new movie from the "Snowpiercer" and "Okja" director tells the story of a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. Renowned actor Song Kang-ho stars in the film, along with Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong.

 

This is Bong's fifth time at Cannes, following screenings of "The Host," at the Directors' Fortnight in 2006, and "Okja," his first work to be nominated for the main competition section in 2017.

 

Dressed to the nines, the audience filling the 2,300-seat Grand Theatre Lumiere burst into applause after the two-hour-plus film came to an end with closing credits and lights up.

 

None of those present, including Tilda Swinton, who starred in "Snowpiercer," left their seats until the very end of the event.

 

Director Bong and cast of the movie remained fixated amid the adulation from the audience.

 

"Thank you everyone. Let's all go home," Bong said in the midst of the standing ovation, saying goodbye to the crowd as the screening finished after midnight.

 

But the clapping and cheering continued even after Bong's farewell.

 

A French viewer, who identified herself only as Eglantyne, said she loved the movie because of its dark humor.

 

A male viewer said he prefers "Parasite" to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," the new film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, which premiered earlier in the same day.

 

"Parasite" also received a modest ovation from reporters from all around the world, although they came up with temperate reviews after Bong's request not to reveal plot spoilers.

 

"'Parasite' being the work of one of Korea's best regarded filmmakers, that simple-sounding setup is the cue for multiple darker twists, ingrained social commentary, and bouts of comedic violence," Patrick Frater, a reporter for Variety, wrote. "Picking individual winners would be difficult. Picking 'Parasite' as a contender for some kind of Cannes reward would not be."

 

The Hollywood Reporter called Bong "Korean creature-feature maestro" in its latest story.

 

"'Parasite' is generally gripping and finely crafted, standing up well as Bong's most mature state-of-the-nation statement since 'Memories of Murder' in 2003," it said.

 

brk@yna.co.kr

 

Director Bong Joon-ho: stairs are a key metaphor in 'Parasite'

 

CANNES, France, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho said Wednesday that stairs serve as a key metaphor for hierarchical social status and materialism in his Cannes-nominated black comedy "Parasite."

 

"Nearly 90 percent of the story takes place in a big house, the home of the rich family. It has a vertical structure -- second floor, first floor and basement," the director said at an official press conference for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. "Each space is connected by stairs. Our staff jokingly called our work a 'stair movie.'"

In this photo provided by AFP, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (4th from R) and the cast of "Parasite" pose during a photocall at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 22, 2019. (Yonhap)

 

The film, which premiered Tuesday night at Cannes, revolves around the poor family of Ki-taek who live in a squalid, grubby basement. They get involved in a string of mishaps after the sly son gets a job as a tutor for a moneyed family residing in an opulent, gaudy mansion.

 

It is Bong's second attempt to win the Palme d'Or in the main competition section, following the action-adventure film "Okja" in 2017.

 

The 49-year old director said he took the concept of stairs from old Korean classic movies like "The Housemaid" by Kim Ki-young in 1960.

 

Vertical structures typically symbolize social hierarchy in cinema, but Bong said the structures in "Parasite" are even more special because of indigenous subterranean residential spaces called "semi-basements."

 

"In South Korea, the semi-basement has subtle nuances," he said. "(People) live underground, but want to believe that they are above the ground because they have a moment when sunlight comes into their room."

 

He said "Parasite" begins with a scene in which the sun lights up Ki-taek's filthy semi-basement home as if his family are not yet living below-the-surface lives.

 

"But at the same time, they are afraid of falling into a complete underground situation if they get worse," he said. "This is the ingenious point my movie has."

 

The director is known for his socially conscious films like "The Host," "Snowpiercer" and "Okja." He described himself a genre movie director who doesn't like to follow the rules of genre films.

 

"Korean genre films have experienced stellar development in the 2000s," he said. "They have made a stab at blending Korean political situations, personal anguish and Korean history."

 

Actor Song Kang-ho plays the role of Ki-taek, the father of the destitute family. It is his fourth time working with the director -- he previously apeared in "Memories of Murder," "The Host" and "Snowpiercer."

 

"As a screenwriter and director, he has wielded his great insight into society in every movie," Song said of the director. "I think 'Parasite' is about what Bong the artist wants to communicate."

 

brk@yna.co.kr

 

May 23, 2019

 

Parasite is met with praise at Cannes
 

Source: The DONG-A Ilbo

 

 

A standing ovation continued for seven minutes at the Lumiere Theatre in Cannes, France that was filled with some 2,000 viewers. 

 

Korean director Bong Jun-ho’s movie “Parasite,” which was selected for the 72nd Cannes International Film Festival and aired on 10 p.m. on Tuesday (local time), won rapturous applause from the audience. Leading media, such as Guardian and Variety, reported that when the ending credit appeared and the lights came on, the audience erupted with applause. When the applause continued, Bong spoke into a microphone to say “Thank you everyone. Let’s go home” in both Korean and English, but the applause went on. 

 

“Parasite” is Bong’s seventh movie. A wealthy family lives on a house made of marble on a hill, while a poor family lives in a basement infested with bugs. Bong reveals the gap between the rich and the poor by displaying a stark contrast of the two families. The two families become involved as the eldest son Ki-woo (played by Choi Woo-sik) of Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), whose entire family is jobless, is interviewed by Park (Lee Sun-gyun) for a high-paying personal tutor position.

 

In a press conference held last month after the movie was invited to the Cannes Festival, Bong said that “Non-Koreans might not be 100 percent familiar with the details,” but it appears that the message came across. BBC chose “Parasite” as the first must-see movie for the “Top 10 films not to be missed at Cannes.” 

 

After the movie was aired, foreign media responded with praise. Guardian gave four stars out of five, praising the movie as “Parasite is a bizarre black comedy about social status, aspiration, materialism and the patriarchal family unit. Parasite gets its tendrils into you.” The Telegraph also gave it four stars saying that “Parasite, a raucous and blood-splattered social satire, will torment you.” Parasite is generally gripping and finely crafted, standing up well as Bong’s most mature state-of-the-nation statement since Memories of Murder in 2003.” Indiewire commented that “under the pall of late capitalism, Bong’s latest offers another compassionate parable that is giddy, brilliant and contrasting. Bong Joon-ho has become a genre unto himself.” 

 

On the other hand, director Bong introduced a letter asking him to refrain from spoilers in Korean, English and French through the materials distributed to the media gathered in the Cannes prior to the screening. He said in a letter, "Nowadays, audiences are waiting for the release of anticipated films, and they are moving away from the usual favorite movie sites, and in many theater lounges, people use headsets to increase the volume of their music," said the audience. It is said that the creators are eager to fall into the movies with emotions. "

 

Seo-Hyun Lee baltika7@donga.com

 

Clip: Karen Han

 

Bong Joon-ho's New Film Gets Ecstatic Reception at Cannes Festival

Spoiler

 

By Song Hye-jin The Chosun Ilbo

 

Director Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Parasite" had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night. The 2,000-strong audience at the Grand Theatre Lumiere was gripped by the satirical black comedy, giving the director and cast a nine-minute standing ovation when it finished.

 

Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton, a friend of the director who appeared in his films "Snowpiercer" and "Okja," was among those leading the applause. Cast members Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin and Lee Jung-eun were clearly overwhelmed by the response.

Director Bong Joon-ho and actors Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong and Lee Jung-eun (from right) react to an ovation from the audience after a screening of the film "Parasite" at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. /Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

 

The premise of "Parasite" is simpler than those of Bong's previous works such as "The Host" and "Mother." The film revolves around a bizarre encounter between two families from opposite social classes when a son from a poor family scams his way into a tutoring job in a wealthy family.

 

"Parasite" is similar to "Snowpiercer" in Bong's use of starkly contrasting spaces, as well as water and light imagery, to discuss the issue of class. Somewhat disappointingly, the film lacks the symbolic depth that would allow for multiple interpretations, opting instead to have characters explicitly deliver the film's key messages through dialogue. Nonetheless, "Parasite" is nothing less than a masterpiece that escapes being categorized in any one genre with so many twists.

 

A critic for online magazine IndieWire commented, "The giddy, brilliant, and totally unclassifiable 'Parasite' proves that Bong Joon-ho has become a genre unto himself," while British daily the Guardian wrote, "'Parasite' gets its tendrils into you."

Of the 21 films in the official competition at Cannes, 15 were unveiled as of Tuesday night, and only a handful of them including "Pain and Glory" by Pedro Almodovar have generated hype despite the inclusion of films by big names like Ken Loach, Jim Jarmusch and Terrence Malick.

 

Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was screened on the same night as "Parasite" amid much interest, but it seems it was overshadowed by "Parasite."

 

Some critics have pointed out that "Parasite" appeals to Cannes' tendency to favor movies that address social issues. French newspaper Le Monde praised Bong as a filmmaker who, more than a mere stylist, is capable of blending political and social metaphors in his movies.

 

The winners of this year's festival will be announced on Saturday as it closes its run, which started on May 14.

 

[widala]

Parasite first week in France is looking good with more than 300k admissions 

 

[rubie]

 

May 26, 2019

 

S. Korean cinema finally embraces Palme d'Or at Cannes

By Yonhap via The Korea Herald

 

Thanks to Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" being awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes on Saturday, South Korea has bagged the highest honor at two of the world's three most acclaimed film competitions -- Cannes, Venice and Berlin.

 

The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival gave its top prize to Bong's black comedy movie about a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. 

 

It is the first time that a South Korean filmmaker has grabbed the highest honor at Cannes. 

 

72nd Cannes Film Festival - Photocall after Closing ceremony - Cannes, France, May 25, 2019. Director Bong Joon-ho, Palme d`Or award winner for his film "Parasite" (Gisaengchung), and Song Kang-ho react. (REUTERS)
 

Spoiler

 

The country's filmmakers started to knock the door of the French film festival in 1984 when Lee Doo-yong's historical drama "Spinning Wheel" was played in the "Un Certain Regard" sidebar.

 

In 2002, renowned director Im Kwon-taek took the best director award with "Chihwaseon," which features a nineteenth-century Korean painter who changed the direction of Korean art, bringing home the nation's first Cannes' official trophy.

 

Two years later, Cannes' second-highest honor -- the Grand Prix -- went to Park Chan-wook's "Old Boy," helping the director rise to worldwide stardom. He also collected the Jury Prize, the third-highest honor at the French festival, for his 2009 horror movie "Thirst," becoming one of the most beloved directors at Cannes.

 

In 2007, Cannes granted Jeon Do-yeon the best actress award for her performance in "Secret Sunshine," while director Lee Chang-dong took home the best screenplay award in 2010 for his drama "Poetry."

 

Apart from their success in Cannes, meanwhile, South Korean films have fared even better at the Venice International Film Festival.

 

Back in 1987, the best actress award was given to Kang Soo-youn for her leading role in "The Surrogate Woman," directed by Im Kwon-taek.

 

Lee Chang-dong's "Oasis" and Kim Ki-duk's "3-Iron" won the Silver Lion for best direction in 2002 and 2004, respectively.

 

Finally, Kim made history when his drama "Pieta" won the Golden Lion for best movie at the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012, becoming the first Korean film to attain a top prize from any of the world's three largest film festivals.

 

South Korean flicks have also made their presence felt at the Berlin International Film Festival.

 

Kim Ki-duk's "Samaritan Girl" earned the Silver Bear prize for best director at the 2004 festival, while Park Chan-wook won the Alfred Bauer Prize for his 2007 romantic comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK."

 

The festival presented the best actress award to Kim Min-hee for her role in "On the Beach at Night Alone" in 2017.

 

Now, Berlin is the only event of the three that has never given a South Korean movie its top prize. (Yonhap)

 

 

Source: Pierce Conran // Jason Bechervaise // CJ Entertainment
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[sadiesmith]

Parasite coming near you:

 

https://www.hallyusg.net/2019/06/11/kmovie-parasite/

[K-Movie] Cannes Award-Winning Film, “Parasite” opens in Singapore Cinemas 27 June

Title: PARASITE
Genre: Drama
Cast: Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yeo Jeong, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, Lee Jung Eun, Jang Hye Jin
Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
Singapore Release Date: 27 June 2019
Runtime: 131 Minutes
Rating: TBA

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

To Indonesia June 26:

 

 

[rubie]

 

May 26, 2019

 

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' wins Palme d'Or at Cannes

 

CANNES, France, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Bong Joon-ho grabbed the highest honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his black comedy movie "Parasite."

 

Bong became the first South Korean director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Before him, Park Chan-wook was awarded the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize at the festival, for his thriller "Old Boy" in 2004.

His achievement marks the sixth time that a Korean film has received one of the main competition awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Im Kwon-taek took the best director award for "Chihwaseon" in 2002, Park Chan-wook earned one twice with "Old Boy" (2004) and "Thirst" (2009) and Lee Chang-dong picked up the best screenplay award with "Poetry" in 2010. Jeon Do-yeon won the best actress award for "Secret Sunshine" in 2007.

 

"Parasite" finished first in a fierce competition against big-name candidates and Cannes laureates like "Pain and Glory" by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and "Young Ahmed" by the Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne.

 

When his name was called at the very end of the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, Bong shouted with joy and hugged his colleagues.

 

"I didn't prepare a speech in French, but I'm inspired a lot by French movies," he told the audience via a French-speaking interpreter at the awards ceremony. "'Parasite' was an amazing adventure for me."

 

He thanked his staff and cast for their dedication and contribution to completing the masterpiece.

 

"When I was 12 years old, I decided to become a film director," he said. "I'd never imagined the day that I touch this trophy."

 

"Parasite", Bong's seventh feature film, revolves around the poor family of Ki-taek who live in a squalid, grubby basement. They become involved in a string of mishaps after the sly son gets a job as a tutor for a moneyed family residing in an opulent, gaudy mansion.

 

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the president of the jury, said it was a unanimous decision on "Parasite."

 

"The film is such a unique experience; it's an unexpected film," the Mexican director said in a press conference after the closing ceremony.

 

He stressed that the jury did not take into account the fact that Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda won it last year for "Shoplifters." Some had expected Cannes to hesitate in granting the grand prize to Asian directors two years in a row.

 

"The cinema had to speak for itself," Inarritu said, adding that the jury had no political agenda or message.

 

The Grand Prix went to "Atlantics" by Mati Diop, and the Jury Prize, the third-best honor, was granted to "Bacurau" by Kleber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles and "Les Miserables" by Ladj Ly.

 

The best director award was given to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for "Young Ahmed," while Antonio Banderas and Emily Beecham took the best actor and actress awards for their performance in "Pain and Glory" and "Little Joe," respectively.

 

brk@yna.co.kr

 

Source: DDOBOJA

 

Director Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' wins the Palme d'Or, it's the first Korean movie to win the award
 

Original Source (TV Report via Naver): Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' wins Palme d'Or at Cannes..First Korean movie to win

 

1. [+1716, -5] Daebak! I'm getting chills. Director Bong Joon Ho-nim, congratulations!!! *clap, clap, clap, clap*!

2. [+345, -7] Finally!! Congratulations!!!

3. [+309, -3] Director, I'm proud of you and I respect you!!! I screamed out during this dawn. Congratulations!!!

4. [+234, -7] Wow this is crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Congratulations

5. [+166, -6] Woooooow ㅠㅠㅠ Director Bong Joon Ho-nim, congratulations - I'll make sure to watch it on the day it premieres!!! 

 

President Moon celebrates Korean film's Cannes victory

 

By Yonhap via The Korea Herald
 

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday delivered a congratulatory message for the South Korean film "Parasite" after it won the top Cannes festival award, calling it a big gift to all South Koreans.

 

"Parasite" won the top honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday (French time), making it the first South Korean movie to take the main prize at the eminent film event. 

 

(Yonhap)

 

"The status of hallyu culture has risen one step higher," Moon said on his Twitter and other social media accounts. Hallyu means Korean Wave in English and refers to the global popularity of Korean cultural content.

 

"It is a very honorable event and (I) am profusely delighted with the award win, as are so many Koreans who love our movies," the president said.

 

(Twitter)

 

The president also thanked and expressed his pride in the director, Bong Joon-ho, saying, "Since he was 12, (he) has built on his dream step by step to become a world-renowned director."

 

"Director Bong's movies start from our everyday environment to show the dynamism and values of everyday life. ... It is amazing how he finds stories from mundane life," Moon said, adding that he can't wait to watch the film.

  

Referring to this year's centennial of the Korean film industry, the president said the Cannes award came as a meaningful gift for the Korean people. 

 

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also released a similar congratulatory Twitter message.

 

"Director Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The best honor for Korean films," Lee said on his Twitter account. 

 

Bong Joon-ho bags Palme d'Or in Cannes milestone for Korea

 

By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald             

 

Spoiler

 

Bong Joon-ho’s social satire “Parasite” made history Saturday by becoming the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival.

 

According to the jury president Alejandro Inarritu, the nine-person jury had made the decision based on a unanimous vote.

 

“The film has been an astonishing journey, which was made possible with the artists that stood by my side. Above all, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot a single scene without great actors, and I thank them for that,” Bong said, adding that he “never imagined that he would one day touch the trophy. He called the award a “very great gift” from the Cannes festival, noting that this is the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema.

“Parasite” is described to be a black comedy about unexpected series of events when a poor family of hustlers encounter a wealthy one. It stars Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam, and Song Kang-ho, a man considered one of the best actors in Korean cinema who has appeared in Bong’s most well-known films like “Snowpiercer,” “The Host” and “Memories of Murder.”

 

Inarritu was quoted by media that the jury “shared the mystery of the unexpected way this film took us through different genres” and that the film spoke in a “funny, humorous and tender way of no judgment of something so relevant and urgent and so global.” 

 

The 49-year-old Korean is known for transcending traditional genres, and has been dubbed “Bong-tail (mix of Bong and details) by some fans for adding minute details in his films to satirize social issues. “The Host,” his biggest commercial success yet, appears to be a monster film but has elements of black comedy and social satire. 

 

The genre-mixing film is slated to open in Korean theaters on May 30.

 

“Parasite” is the second film by Bong to be invited to compete in the festival, the first one being “Okja” in 2017. His victory also marks a second consecutive year that the Palme d’Or went to an Asian director, with Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” winning top honors last year.

 

As of now, Korean directors have grabbed the highest honors at two of what are considered three world‘s most acclaimed film competitions: Cannes, Venice Film Festival and the Berlinale. In 2012, Kim Ki-duk won the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice Film Festival with “Pieta”

 

Bong’s win was not the only ground-breaking one of the festival. Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” about a migrant crisis through the eyes of Senegalese women left behind -- became the first black female director to compete for the top prize and made history by winning the second-top honor, the Grand Prize award. 

 

The Jury Prize went to “Bacurau” by Kleber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles and “Les Miserables” by Ladj Ly, and the best director award to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for “Young Ahmed.” Best Screenplay was awarded to Celine Sciamma for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”

 

Antonio Banderas and Emily Beecham each took the Best Actor and Best Actress awards for their work in “Pain and Glory” and “Little Joe,” and the “It Must Be Heaven” by Elia Suleiman won Special Mention.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

 

 

[sadiesmith]

Parasite will come to Australia June 26. Watch the trailer!

 

 

 

[rubie]

Photos: CJ Entertainment

 

[widala]

Eight millions admissions!

Congratulations 

 

[rubie]

 

May 25, 2019

 

Bong Joon-ho's Parasite wins Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival
Black-comic thriller from South Korean director of Okja and Snowpiercer takes the top honours at the 72nd edition of the festival

 

Andrew Pulver The Guardian

 

Bong Joon-ho with the Palme d’Or at Cannes, after winning for Parasite.

Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Bong Joon-ho has won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival for his black comic thriller Parasite.

 

The South Korean director is best known for previous films Okja and Snowpiercer, and earned rave reviews for his new film, which is about a poor family who insinuate themselves as servants into a much richer one. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as “a luxuriously watchable and satirical suspense drama [that] runs as purringly smooth as the Mercedes driven by the lead character”.

 

Bong is the first Korean director to have won the top award at Cannes, after last appearing in competition with Okja in 2017. He is the second Asian winner in successive years, after Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda triumphed in 2018 with Shoplifters.

 

Spoiler

 

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood left empty-handed despite widespread critical acclaim, as did another heavyweight director Ken Loach, whose gig-economy drama Sorry We Missed You had made a major impact at the beginning of the festival.

 

The awards ceremony is always brisk, compared to the Oscars, with little time for political pronouncements from the podium. However Fahrenheit 9/11 director Michael Moore, as he presented the jury prize, hit out at Donald Trump, quoting painter Pablo Picasso. “Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth,” he said, “Trump is the lie that enables us more lying.” Moore added: “In dark times, art is what has helped save humanity from the autocrats and idiots.”

 

The Grand Prix – considered the runners-up award – went to Senegalese director Mati Diop for Atlantique, a supernatural drama about African migrants. Diop had atttracted considerable attention before the festival as the first black woman to have a film selected for competition, and her film was a resounding critical success.

 

Antonio Banderas was a popular winner of the best actor award for Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory; Banderas played a film-maker clearly modelled on Almodovar himself as he looks back over his career, in which memories of his mother (played by Penelope Cruz) loom large.

Emily Beecham – the British star of cult hit Daphne – won the best actress award for Little Joe, a sci-fi parable directed by Austrian film-maker Jessica Hausner. She is the first British actor to win in this category since 1997, when Kathy Burke triumphed for her performance in the Gary Oldman-directed Nil by Mouth.

Brazilian film Bacurau and French drama Les Misérables shared the third-place jury prize: the former was jointly directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelle and won plaudits for its anti Jair Bolsonaro message, while the latter, from first time feature director Ladj Ly, was much liked for its portrayal of tough French street life.

 

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the veteran Belgian film-makers who have previously won the Palme d’Or twice, took home the best director award for their radicalisation drama Young Ahmed, while Céline Sciamma, considered by many critics a strong contender for the Palme d’Or, was given best screenplay for her 18th-century-set lesbian romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

 

 

In a press conference after the awards ceremony, Bong thanked Cannes for the honour, saying: “It is the 100th anniversary of cinema in Korea this year. I think that Cannes has given Korean cinema a great gift.” He also added that he was pleased to hear that the jury had unanimously voted for Parasite to win, and “as I am a real fan of films it is another reason to be pleased”.

 

Bong deflected a suggestion that Parasite contained comments aimed at North Korea, saying that an impression of a North Korean TV anchor in the film was “just a small joke”. “If North Koreans see my film one day, I think they will laugh.”

 

In a press conference after the awards ceremony, Banderas joked that the win was “good news for his cardiologist” and thanked Almódovar, the director of Pain and Glory and with whom he has worked in seven previous films. “The award is for the character I played, and that is the alter-ego of Pedro Almódovar. There is something of him here.” Banderas added: “I thank him for the years, our movies together.”

 

Beecham appeared somewhat nonplussed at her win, for Jessica Hausner’s sci-fi parable Little Joe, saying she had been “overwhelmed” by the experience. “I had a kind of inkling this morning because I had a phone call from [Little Joe’s] producer. I had to put my stuff in a backpack and get on a plane.”

 

Full list of awards
Palme d’Or Parasite (dir Bong Joon-ho)

Grand Prix Atlantique (dir Mati Diop)

Best director Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Young Ahmed

Best actor Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Best actress Emily Beecham, Little Joe

Jury prize (ex aqueo) Les Misérables (dir Ladj Ly); Bacurau (dir Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho)

Best screenplay Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Special Mention Elia Suleiman, It Must Be Heaven

Camera d’Or Our Mothers (dir Cesar Diaz)

 

May 26, 2019

 

Bong Joon-ho's films pursue balance of commercial, artistic values

 

By Yonhap via The Korea Herald
 

South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, who won the top prize at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, is known for works that cater to both commercial and artistic tastes.

 

His films often use metaphors, but they are not too difficult -- not only for film critics but also for audiences -- to understand. 

 

Throughout his filmography, he sheds light on chronic social issues like materialism and class division through analogy, and he never fails to cast a warm, good-humored eye over the weak.

 

(CJ E&M Film Business Division)

 

In his first feature, "Barking Dogs Never Bite," released in 2000, Bong conveyed his satirical message on South Korean society in a comical way. In the story of a shiftless college professor who kidnaps barking dogs in his apartment building, Bong contrasts an ordinary residential complex with the building's gloomy, bleak basement.

 

His 2003 crime-drama "Memories of Murder," based on the true story of notorious serial murders, was well received by both critics and audiences, helping Bong gain media and critical approval both at home and abroad.

 

Three years later, Bong came up with the smash-hit monster blockbuster "The Host," which was the highest grossing South Korean film at the time.

 

Inspired by an incident of toxic material being dumped at a U.S. military base in Seoul, Bong's big-budget film managed to maintain the tension among its scares, its laughs and its satire.

 

It was his first film to touch on environmental issues, which continue to be a key leitmotif of his work.

 

"The Host" led the versatile director to encounter the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, and it was screened at the Directors' Fortnight there.

 

Spoiler

 

(CJ Entertainment)

 

 

In "Mother," released in 2009, Bong turned his eyes toward human madness and horror. Cannes invited the movie to its official "Un Certain Regard" section.

 

Then he carried out some experiments. He went to Hollywood and directed the English-language science fiction action film "Snowpiercer" in 2013. Here, he illustrated social hierarchy through the image of the divided train, mixing humor, suspense and action, as well as social and environmental concerns.

 

In his 2017 action-adventure film "Okja," released on Netflix, he again brought to bear his criticism of life and capitalism.

 

Spoiler

 

(Moho Film-Opus Pictures-Stillking Films)

 

 

The Cannes-winning "Parasite" revolves around the poor family of Ki-taek. They live in a squalid, grubby basement and get involved in a string of mishaps after the sly son, Ki-woo, gets a job as a tutor for a moneyed family residing in an opulent, gaudy mansion.

 

His rendering of the rich-and-poor theme appealed to the Cannes jury and the media.

 

He described himself a genre movie director who doesn't like to follow the rules of genre films.

 

"I focus on the nuance of a situation," he said in a press conference at Cannes on Wednesday, answering a question about whether he intends to subvert certain genres in a movie. "People are familiar with categorizing movies into genres. But as a director, I'm not conscious of it." (Yonhap