Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- Bong Joon-ho's black comedy "Parasite" was named best foreign-language film at the U.S. Golden Globe Awards.

In a ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, "Parasite" won the honor, outclassing "The Farewell" by Lulu Wang, "Pain and Glory" by Pedro Almodovar, "Les Miserables" by Ladj Ly and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" by Celine Sciamma.

It is the first time that a Korean-made film has won a prize at the accolades given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It was also nominated for best screenplay and best director at the Golden Globe Awards but failed to win either. Sam Mendes of "1917" took best director, and Quentin Tarantino of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" earned best screenplay.

"If you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many amazing films," Bong said through an interpreter when accepting the trophy. "Just being nominated along with fellow amazing international filmmakers was a huge honor. I think we use only one language: the cinema."

The top prize winner of this year's Cannes Film Festival is a family satire that depicts the entrenched social class system through the lives of two families, one rich and one poor, with Bong's humor and suspense. Its international success has been unprecedented as a Korean film, and it received a number of prizes from U.S. film critics associations. Also, it is eyeing a trophy at the upcoming Academy Awards.

"Parasite" was shortlisted for best international feature film at the upcoming Academy Awards. The final five nominees for the award will be announced on January 13. Since its U.S. release in October, moreover, the film has grossed over $23 million in the United States, becoming the most popular subtitled film of the year.
(Yonhap)