Washington: Bong Joon-ho, whose Parasite won best foreign-language film at the 2020 Golden Globes, said he never expected such a welcome reception to the movie.
"This story is a very contemporary one about the gap between rich and poor. And essentially, it's about capitalism. And I think it's undeniable that the heart of capitalism in the U.S. And so I think it's been very gratifying to see the strong reaction here," said the South Korean filmmaker, adding, "But the success is all based on the explosive reaction we've gotten from the U.S. audience. And I think that's what makes me really happy."
Lulu Wang, who directed The Farewell in which the characters speak both Mandarin and English, said she grew professionally while working on her film.
Golden Globes 2020: Bong Joon-ho, Lulu Wang, Pedro Almodovar discuss their nominated films "I think it was a learning experience for me because, you know, all my life it's been like if I want to make films, I have to compromise—that's not even a question. It's just a matter of how much do you I compromise. But every time I took the stand for something and I got it, it made me a little bit braver and I would fight a little bit harder," she said.
"And so it was always just about every step, you know, trying to make the best decision I could in that particular moment. And I think it's all of these little moments that add up to the final film."
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However, Wang also noted the disparity between male and female directors.
"It's hugely problematic. I think that prejudice is something that people are not necessarily even aware of. They say that you know, 'Well, these are just the best films. These are the best directors.' But I do think that directing is often sort of categorized as a technical craft and women are seen as emotional, which is, if you've ever been on a set, that's actually not true. Directing and art itself is an emotional craft and we need female voices," she said. "Oftentimes our actors are recognized but the craft itself of the film is not recognized. And so I think that's very problematic"
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar who helmed Pain and Glory seemed to agree. "I used to always write about female protagonists. And they were always more important for me," he said. "So now, it seems that now are becoming more easy for the women director to work. But still, that is not a balance. That is not a priority. We need more women directing."
