Nigerian News and Entertainment | Viatrends Blog: Get to Know Parasite's South Korean Film Director, Bong Joon Ho

Parasite was already a blockbuster hit in South Korea before it became one of the most talked-about films of 2019 in the United States. The mastermind behind the dark thriller, South Korean-born Bong Joon Ho, premiered the movie at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019, where it became the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, the top prize of the festival.

Once the film opened in the U.S. last fall in just three theaters — two in Los Angeles and one in New York City — it brought in $376,264 in total ($125,421 per-theater), which made it the biggest per-screen haul of any international film ever, according to Vanity Fair.

Next up are my favorite movies and TV shows of 2019. Of course, there’s also American Factory, a film from our own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar. Here’s the full list: pic.twitter.com/PEcgwotcxm

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2019

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By the time the film had circulated in theaters all over the country, everyone from former President Barack Obama to Chris Evans was praising both the film and director-screenwriter. The suspenseful, dark masterpiece’s overwhelming popularity made it a force to be reckoned with throughout the film festival circuit, and now that awards season is upon us, it’s no surprise that Parasite is up for best motion picture – foreign language and Bong is nominated for best director – motion picture and best screenplay – motion picture, along with writing partner Han Jin Won, at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards.

It’s impossible not to love this guy. https://t.co/huNwYhj10m

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 10, 2019

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If you’re not as familiar with the acclaimed filmmaker, here are six things you should know before the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards kicks off this Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

Bong Joon Ho was born on Sept. 14, 1969, in Daegu, South Korea.

His film credits include 2009’s Mother, 2013’s Snowpiercer and 2017’s Okja.

He has frequently been compared to Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg.

According to the New York Times, the director is often compared to both of the famous American filmmakers because of his “ruthless precision of his technique” and how he develops his “character to have gravity, density, grace and a decent share of stupidity.”

Bong told Slate to ‘please forget’ his 2000 debut movie Barking Dogs Never Bite because it wasn’t very good.

In an October 2019 profile, the director got candid about his very first film: “It was a very stupid movie.” Despite his own harsh opinion of his initial step into cinema, Bong quickly shot to fame with his second film, 2003’s Memories of Murder, and his third international smash, 2006’s The Host.

He hopes that the success of 2019’s Parasite brings more attention to Korean cinema in the U.S.

Bong told NPR in December 2019 that, “Compared to Japanese or Hong Kong film, the history of Korean cinema is relatively lesser known to American and European audiences.” With the worldwide attention his latest movie has received, he added, “I hope, due to the opportunities that have arisen from Parasite, people will realize that Korean cinema has also had a lot of masters.”

He used to have a tutoring job in college, similar to main character Ki-woo in the film.

During a November 2019 Q&A with Film Linc Daily, Bong revealed that he used to tutor for a very rich family when he was in school. He shared that the experience helped inspire the idea for Parasite.

View this post on Instagram “The Park family home is one of the most astounding pieces of production design in recent cinematic memory, and the story behind its creation adds a whole new layer of complexity to Bong’s masterpiece.” – Indiewire
A post shared by Parasite (@parasitemovie) on Jan 2, 2020 at 7:50pm PST

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“That house had a private sauna on the second floor. And so the boys showed off the sauna to me and I still vividly remember the eerie feeling I had just being in that house,” he told the outlet. “I remember how proud that young boy seemed to be of this very rich house and I remember how I felt like I was spying on the private lives of complete strangers. Those personal memories were where my idea for this film began. So rather than just intending to give a political message on class, those personal memories are where this begins.”

The #BongHive has some seriously famous members, including:

Ava DuVernay

That’s the tweet. That’s all. pic.twitter.com/mjyhP84aqf

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) November 19, 2019

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Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt just crossed the room to personally greet the Parasite cast #AFIAwards pic.twitter.com/pFXvjUJuTA

— Andrea Mandell (@AndreaMandell) January 3, 2020

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Rainn Wilson

Go see Parasite. It’s jaw-dropping. Comedy/tragedy/action/horror/social commentary all in one. #Parasite #KoreanFilm

— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) November 10, 2019

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Patton Oswalt

PARASITE is amazing and you should see it right away. Thank you.

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) October 18, 2019

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Bryan Greenberg

Got to see a screening of Joon-Ho Bong's new film Parasite last night. So insanely creative. Loved it!

— Bryan Greenberg (@bryangreenberg) September 25, 2019

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Janelle Monáe