There were also very specific guidelines around how many foreign films could be imported. But what happened in the last 20 years to spur such a cinematic renaissance? Well, the laws around film censorship in Korea were dramatically altered, allowing filmmakers to create without fear of government meddling.īack in 1962, the country’s constitution included an article that said “censorship of films and entertainment to defend public morals and social ethics is permissible.” Strict rules were put in place dictating how many films a company could produce each year, and what was appropriate to show people at all. And if you’re a horror-movie fan, they’re the crop of directors par excellence when it comes to executing the genre-blending style that defines this modern wave of critically acclaimed art-house horror.ĭirectors du jour like Ari Aster and Julia Ducournau have cited South Korean filmmakers when discussing their most impactful cinematic contemporaries, and the immaculate art direction of creatives like Park - paired with a heavy emphasis on mood and twisted family dramas - can be seen bleeding through the screen in movies like Raw and Hereditary. Alex Jung has pointed out, the country’s previous 0-for-everything streak with the Hollywood establishment was “a curious historical omission (embarrassing more for the Academy than it is for Korea) when you consider the country’s filmmaking stature in the world.” Park Chan-wook, Na Hong-jin, Kim Jee-woon, Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and so many more have spent the last 20 years turning out some of the most adventurous, aesthetically arresting cinema in the world. That changed this year when the country’s 31st attempt, in the form of Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, ended up being the surprise big winner at last night’s Oscars.
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Prior to this most recent awards season, South Korea had submitted 30 titles for Best Foreign Film consideration at the Academy Awards over the years, and had come up empty 30 times.
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This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated in light of Parasite ’s big wins at last night’s Oscars. Photo: 20th Century Fox/Next Entertainment World