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South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho listens to questions from reporters during a press conference on “Parasite” at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on Feb. 19. (Yonhap News)

On Apr. 22, 2019, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho was asked about the possibility of winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival during a presentation for his film “Parasite” at the Westin Chosun Hotel in downtown Seoul.

“I don’t have a good chance of winning. I’m lined up with all these amazing directors that I’ve admired since I was back in film school, and I’m just grateful that they stuck me in the lineup,” Bong replied.

Bong’s prediction was proved wrong when his film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and then went on to take four Oscars.

On Feb. 19, Bong was back at the Westin Chosun Hotel. “Nearly a year has passed since we had our production presentation here. I’m glad the film has had such staying power, taking me around the world and at last bringing me here again,” Bong said as he kicked off the press conference.

Bong started by sharing some of the background of his Oscar campaign. “The North American distributor for ‘Parasite’ is Neon, a small company that hasn’t been around very long. It launched a guerilla campaign with a budget that was dwarfed by those of bigger studios. [Actor] Song Kang-ho and I were often worked to the bone. We made up for our financial disadvantage with passion — more than 600 interviews, more than 100 audience Q&As, brilliant ideas for social media, and the teamwork of Neon, CJ, Barunson E&A, and the actors.”

Bong during a press conference with the cast of “Parasite” at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on Feb. 19. (Yonhap News)

“Local” comment on Oscars wasn’t calculated

Bong also mentioned his provocative remark about the Academy Awards being “very local” in an interview with the US press, which ended up becoming the focus of media attention. “I wasn’t trying to create a stir at the beginning of our campaign. The remark came out naturally while I was comparing the US-centered Academy Awards to Cannes and other international film festivals, and then it got shared a lot on social media by young Americans. It wasn’t a calculated comment at all!”

Bong shared his thoughts on how “Parasite,” which deals with inequality, became a global sensation. “I’d dealt with similar themes in ‘The Host’ and “Snowpiercer,’ but I think this film was more explosive because it’s set in the present day and describes events that could happen next door,” he said.

“I didn’t want to sugarcoat the film or gloss over the essence of the story out of some fear that viewers would be uncomfortable with the nasty aspects of the wealth gap in the modern world which are so visible in the film. The thing I’m happiest about is that viewers from around the world have responded positively to the film I made to tackle that theme head on,” Bong added.

Following the film’s smashing success at the Oscars, South Korean politicians have been talking about restoring Bong’s childhood home or building a statue of him, which elicited a wry smile from the director. “I’d rather they waited until I’m dead to talk about that kind of thing. I glanced over those articles with the attitude that, ‘This too shall pass.’ I don’t have any other comment about that.”

Bong appeared less interested in himself than in the South Korean film industry as a whole. “I’ve thought long and hard about whether an up-and-coming young director with the script for ‘Barking Dogs Never Bite’ [Bong’s debut film] or ‘Parasite’ could get funding to make the film. While South Korean cinema has undergone an amazing development over the past 20 years, at the same time it’s gotten harder for young directors to try something risky,” he said.

“In the early 2000s, there was cross-pollination between independent films and commercial films. But nowadays, there’s hardly any interaction between them. In order to get its mojo back, the mainstream film industry needs to stop fearing risk and embrace challenging films.”

Bong remains optimistic. “There’s a lot of talent percolating in the independent films I’ve seen recently, and that will ultimately lead to a positive collision with industry.”

Bong also discussed his future plans, including upcoming films and a TV adaption of “Parasite.” He’ll be a producer for the “Parasite” TV series by HBO. “We’re going to dig deeper into the contemporary issue of the wealth gap through black comedy in the style of a police procedural. Rather than the multi-season model, we’re hoping to pack a lot into a five- or six-episode miniseries like ‘Chernobyl.’ I’m still discussing the story structure and direction with the writer, Adam McKay. We’re not going to rush the preparations.”

As for his next cinematic releases, Bong is working on a Korean-language film and an English-language film. “I got a letter from Martin Scorsese this morning. He told me I deserved a vacation for my hard work, but that I should keep the vacation short and get back to work soon. He told me he’s looking forward to my next film,” Bong said.

“I’ve been working on my next two films for several years now. I’m going to go about them in the usual way, without any influence from the success of ‘Parasite,’” he added.

By Seo Jeong-min, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]