Bong Joon-Ho Speaks Out Against Anti-Asian Hate

There has been an epidemic of hate crimes against Asian people in America. It's disgraceful and horrendous. During an interview at  Chapman University’s Dodge College in Orange, California, Bong Joon-Ho (on Zoom, with a translator) talked about how removed he is from that world since he lives in Korea.

But he followed up by saying, “But as someone who is a part of mankind, as a person, it’s quite fearful to watch the hate crimes against Asian Americans and the BLM movement. I do think about what the film industry can do at this time. With films, creating a film takes a lot of time and a lot of money; it’s a big unit that can’t really respond quickly to issues that are currently happening in society.”

He added, “But ironically, because of that, I think creators and filmmakers can be bolder with dealing with issues and they shouldn’t be afraid to confront them. I’m currently thinking of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing.“

Director Bong said that filmmakers like Spike Lee can take these horrific events and really confront them directly. 

"Not necessarily to predict what will happen in society, but to use your insight to portray the issues that are currently boiling underneath the surface of society that can explode later on. For me, Parasite was a film where I tried to take that approach… [the film] talks about the haves and have-nots of our current society. It began with a question of ‘what does it mean to be poor or rich in our current times?’ As creators and artists, you sort of have to see through the essence and the central questions in our society through the days that you live through and send a reply to those questions through your work.”

These are deep and insightful thoughts for a trying time. Do you feel that art should reflect reality and provide commentary on humanity?

Let us know what you think in the comments.