Today is history in the making because a film directed by an Asian, starring ALL Asians and spoken in an Asian language cleaned up at the Oscars. Yes, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s film “Parasite” won 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Directing, International Feature Film and Writing (Original Screenplay). It has also broken Oscar records in being the first foreign language film to win the award for “Best Picture”. In addition, Joon-ho becomes the first South Korean to win an Academy Award, so let’s just say he is now slated to become an Asian directing legend.
If you haven’t followed this momentous occasion – worthy of celebration, well, get with the program and savor the fact that “Parasite” won over “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” twice tonight – once in “Best Picture” and the other in “Directing”. But more importantly, this total clean up shows how far the Asian film industry has progressed and how it has surpassed that of Hollywood. No longer are actors in Asia dreaming of making it in Hollywood, when you have huge film markets and industries like South Korea, Japan, China, South East Asia and India (Bollywood), and even those from the non-Asian world are heading to Asia to make their mark. “Parasite’s” win is a testament to this fact and its success proves that an entire Asian cast can become a global success.
This definitely supports the fight in Hollywood and other parts of the West that a film made by Asians, starring all Asians with a story not uniquely Asian and not featuring negative racial stereotypes can be a success and a film which can be globally appreciated. No longer are Asians portrayed as only a villain, the butt of the joke, being sexually inept or needing a white saviour to rescue them from evil forces , as Hollywood has been telling the world for decades. But moving away from the “politics” of the win, let’s just take a moment and savour this win. Breathe it in!
For your entertainment, here are other Asian Australians who are celebrating this win for Asians everywhere!
A Historic for the S Korea and Asia Film.