2020-01-23 The Hollywood Reporter

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 34 JANUARY 2020 AWARDS 1

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roducer Kwak Sin-ae has known

Bong Joon Ho since the late 1990s,

when she was an eager young film

journalist covering South Korean

cinema and he was a promis-

ing young director making short films. Now

Kwak, 51, has produced Bong’s rapturously

received Parasite, which collected six Oscar

nominations — including best picture, best

director and best international feature — and

became the first South Korean film to garner

that recognition from the Academy.

Part thriller, part black comedy, part social

satire, Parasite has transcended boundaries

of genre and nationality, grossing more than

$137 million worldwide since it unspooled at

the Cannes Film Festival in May, more than

$25 million of that from typically subtitle-

averse domestic audiences. Kwak spoke to THR

about the challenges of marketing the inde-

finable film, the disappointment in seeing its

actors go unrecognized amid the thrill of the

other Oscar nominations and what she hopes

the honor means for the future of the Korean

film industry.

What does it mean to you that Parasite

is the first South Korean film to get an

Oscar nomination?

KWAK SIN-AE A lot of people watch the Oscars

there, and there are a lot of fans of cinema,

including myself. Ever since I was young, I

would see Oscar trophies on posters of films

that won them. I always had the fantasy of

Parasite

After winning the top prize at Cannes, earning nearly universal

acclaim and exceeding box office expectations, Bong Joon Ho’s

film is the first Korean feature to compete at the Academy Awards

BY REBECCA KEEGAN

something like this happening, but it was

never a realistic dream. To see it happen in

reality, it’s very surprising. It all feels a little

bit bizarre as well.

In the past few years, the Academy has

been trying to become a more international

organization, to invite more members from

outside the United States and to be less

centered on Hollywood films. Do you think

there’s a need for an organization of that type?

Just based on pure facts, regardless of value

judgment, in reality it’s true that the Oscars

have been an event that really represents

American cinema and Hollywood. It’s true

that films that receive a lot of recognition

from the Academy gain a lot of influence in

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