I didn’t think I was going to regret boycotting the Oscars because the nominations were once again not diverse enough to truly represent all of the amazing cinematic work out there. Fortunately, the excitement is still palpable even days after the live broadcast — we made history this year. “Parasite,” a South Korean film billed as a “dark comedy thriller” became the first foreign language film to win the Best Picture award. The movie also took home Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film, and director Bong Joon-ho won Best Director for his work.
This landmark victory for foreign film comes as no surprise to most. “Parasite” has an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to its former nominations and awards, including two from the Boston Society of Film Critics — Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film. Still, the fact that it was honored as Best Picture from what many consider the premier cinematic awards show is an amazing sign as to increasing diversity in future Oscar nominations, and potentially for foreign film in the United States. Congratulations to all of the Oscar winners of 2020, but especially to “Parasite” and its director.
