Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite’ clinches best screenplay at Oscars

Bong Joon-ho (L) and Han Jin-won accept the Best Original Screenplay award for “Parasite” during the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 9 in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

Seoul: Bong Joon-ho’s sensational family satire “Parasite” has won best original screenplay at this year’s Oscars, becoming the first Korean-made film ever to clinch an Oscar.

At the 92nd Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (U.S. local time), South Korea’s “Parasite” co-written by Bong and Han Jin-won was named the best original screenplay award.

It outclassed “Knives Out” by Rian Johnson, “Marriage Story” by Noah Baumbach, “1917” by Sam Mendes and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” by Quentin Tarantino.

It is the first time that a Korean-made film has won a prize at the awards ceremony of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Before “Parasite,” no Korean film had earned an Oscar nomination.

“Writing a script is such a lonely process, and we never write to represent our country. This is the very first Oscar to South Korea. Thank you,” the auteur said through his interpreter in an acceptance speech. “I thank my wife for always giving inspiration to me, and I thank all the actors here with me today for bringing this film to live.”

Co-writer Han said he wants to share this honor with his colleagues and with storytellers in South Korea.

Also, “Parasite” is the first non-English movie to win the best original screenplay award since the Spanish-language “Talk to Her,” written by Pedro Almodovar, won the title in 2002. The duo are the first Asian writers to win Oscar best screenplay.

“Parasite” is also nominated in five other categories at the Oscars: best picture, best director, best screenplay, best editing and best production design.

The top prize winner of last 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 unique humor and suspense.

YONHAP