Oscar nod for Parasite shows the lowering of movie language barriers

SEOUL－Parasite director Bong Joon-ho says he was surprised and overjoyed when the film won six Oscar nominations on Monday, a historic first for the South Korean film industry and a sign that language is no longer a barrier to global success.

Parasite, a dark comedy about the vast gap between the rich and poor in South Korea, snagged a coveted best picture nomination, best director for Bong, and best screenplay in addition to its best international feature nomination.

"Every time they announced the new nominations, it was so thrilling, because we didn't really anticipate any of this," Bong says in an interview in California.

Bong had previously discussed the challenges of international films breaking the "language barrier" around the world, but says the nominations suggest those barriers may now be falling.

"We can say that thanks to the internet, social media and these streaming services, the whole of society is experiencing less of these language barriers and perhaps Parasite benefited from that global trend," he adds.

In a video shared online by film distributor Neon, one of the show's stars, Song Kang-ho, manages to not spill a cup of coffee as he and others in the room excitedly celebrate.

"The sign you're a global superstar: You don't spill your coffee when your film is nominated for best picture," according to the company.

Kwak Shin-ae, the CEO of the production company, Barunson E&A, says she is delighted by the first Oscar best picture nomination for a South Korean film but disappointed Song did not get a nod for an acting category considering the crucial role he played in the film.

"Being nominated for more than just the foreign language film category is meaningful because it means the film transcended language and nationality to communicate through the universal language of cinema," she says.

South Koreans, many of whom have watched the movie more than once, are also proud to share the honor.

"I was so happy to hear that in the morning Parasite was nominated in many categories for the Academy Awards and I hope the film will do well," Bae Young-sil, 62, says.

A high school student, Kang Jin-gu, 18, says: "It plainly reflected the dark side of our society," referring to the movie's portrayal of the social disparity that has pitted the rich and the poor in Asia's fourth-largest economy.