KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF “PARASITE”

[Anchor Lead]

Director Bong Joon-ho said the quote "the most personal is the most creative" is carved into his heart. Then what are some of the factors that are needed to produce a second or third Parasite that the world can relate? Let's take a look.

[Pkg]

A poor, unemployed family's attempt to move up from their semi-basement life. That is the basic plot of "Parasite." When it won the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival and swept four categories at the Oscars, the global media's attention turned to the 'semi-basement' homes in Korea. Britain's BBC covered in detail the origin and current situation of this unique housing arrangement and told the stories of real people living in semi-basement homes. The Asahi Shimbun of Japan also ran an article on Korea's subterranean homes and noted that the income gap in Korean community represented by these homes is a worldwide problem. It means that the gap between the rich and the poor resonated with countries across the globe. In fact, Director Bong touched on it when he sat down with a KBS reporter at Cannes last May.

[Soundbite] BONG JOON-HO(DIRECTOR, "PARASITE"(MAY 2019)) : "A British guy said there would be no need to change the script even if this movie was remade with a London background. People from Hong Kong said the situation was just like in Hong Kong."

This is in the same context as what he mentioned when talking about Martin Scorsese during the speech after winning Best Director at the Oscars.

[Soundbite] BONG JOON-HO(DIRECTOR, "PARASITE"(ACADEMY AWARDS)) : "When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep in my heart, which is that, 'the most personal is the most creative.'"

A universal issue of income cap and class war delivered through the global language of cinema. That is the key to "Parasite's" success and it shows where hallyu should be headed. Korea was busy simply copying foreign production systems. It's now time to focus on enlarging the foundation that enables the production of such creative contents.

[Soundbite] SONG GYEONG-WON(FILM CRITIC, CINE21 REPORTER) : "It would be impossible to do so by seeking the right answer in the market. It's more important to create an atmosphere or an environment where filmmakers like Bong Joon-ho can be nurtured."

Eagerly accepting new ideas and allowing creative freedom are the ways to enable the creation of many more great works like "Parasite."