|
 "Parasite" made history as the first non-English language movie
to win the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, prompting South
Korean social media to erupt in celebration.
It is a tale of two South Korean families - the wealthy Parks
and the poor Kims - mirroring the deepening disparities in
Asia's fourth-largest economy and striking a chord with global
audiences.
The visual clues in the film resonated with many South Koreans
who identify themselves as "dirt spoons", those born to
low-income families who have all but given up on owning a decent
house and social mobility, as opposed to "gold spoons", who are
from better-off families.
Much of the movie was shot on purpose-built sets, but both the
Parks' mansion and the Kims' squalid "sub-basement" apartment
were inspired by, and set, amid real neighborhoods in the South
Korean capital.
A tour of the film's locations, props, and backdrops reveals the
unique meanings they have for many South Koreans as they engage
in their own debates about wealth - and the lack of it.
SHANTY TOWN
Ahyeon-dong is one of the last shanty towns near downtown Seoul
and made an appearance in several scenes depicting the Kims'
humble neighborhood.
Perched on a hillside near the main train station, Ahyeon-dong
is a warren of steep, narrow streets, many of which end in long
staircases that residents climb to reach their homes.
"Watching the film made me feel like they put my life right in
there," said Lee Jeong-sik, the 77-year-old co-owner of Pig Rice
Supermarket, which is featured in the film.
Kim Kyung-soon, 73, who has operated the shop with her husband
Lee for 45 years, said she opens the supermarket at around 8:30
a.m., while he closes it down after midnight.
She used to open the store even earlier, at 5 a.m., for mothers
who would stop by early to buy school lunch fixings for their
children. Now, however, the neighborhood is mostly older people,
with few young couples or children, Kim said.
The film's fictional Kim family live in a "sub-basement",
usually small, dark apartments built partially underground.
Residents said rent for the sub-basement apartments had
increased to around 400,000 won ($340) per month, more than
doubling in the past decade.
Ahyeon-dong sits in the shadow of newly built apartment towers,
and the city has faced protests from some residents who fear
losing their homes to redevelopment.
"It’s definitely a neighborhood that isn’t faring well," Lee
said. When he heard that "Parasite" had won at the Academy
Awards he was so happy he could not sleep. As a throng of media
gathered outside his shop, he wondered whether the film's fame
would change plans to eventually build new apartments there.
SEOUL'S 'BEVERLY HILLS'
In contrast, the scenes around the wealthy Parks' home - which
itself was a movie set built elsewhere - were filmed in Seongbuk-dong,
known as South Korea's Beverly Hills and home to many business
families and diplomatic residences.
[to top of second column] |
Unlike Ahyeon-dong, the streets in Seongbuk-dong are clear of
rubbish and almost silent, with most homes hidden behind high walls,
spiked fences, and security cameras.
"The houses here are all very fancy residences," said Chung Han-sool,
CEO of Peace Estate Agents. "Most of the houses have basements and
they use it for home bars or mini theaters."
According to real estate brokers, homes there usually cost around 7
billion won ($6 million). Those rented to foreign diplomats are
offered for 10 milllion-15 million won ($8,500 to $12,725) per
month.
"There are 48 ambassadors living in the neighborhood, so there is a
whole separate squad of police officers in the area," Chung said.
Even within Seongbuk-dong the disparity is highlighted by the "gisasikdang"
or "drivers' diners", similar to one featured in "Parasite".
Gisasikdang sprung up to serve meals to drivers, including those
ferrying the area's wealthy residents.
"There are taxi, bus drivers and those who drive the CEOs who live
around here," said Bae Sun-young, a manager at a gisasikdang in
Seongbuk-dong. "The wealth is so polarized here. It’s extreme."
TASTY SYMBOLISM
As news of the Oscar wins spread, South Korean social media burst
with photos and recipes of "jjapaguri", a combination of two
different instant noodles translated in the movie as "ram-dong"
(ramen plus udong).
The dish initially became popular as everyday food due to a
television show but got a boost from the film, which added a
satirical twist as the Parks top it with expensive Korean beef.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris even tweeted with an
image of jjapaguri cup noodles, saying the embassy was hosting a
party to watch the awards ceremony.
Standing in the cramped aisles of Pig Rice Supermarket in Ahyeon-dong,
Lee noted that the residents' economic status was reflected in what
they bought.
"People are not well off here," he said. "What they buy most is
ramen and alcohol."
The other supermarket that makes an appearance in "Parasite" is ORGA
Whole Foods in Bangi-dong, a trendy neighborhood in Seoul that is
popular with upper-middle class families who want to send their
children to top elementary and middle schools.
"The most popular items in our store aren’t cigarettes, alcohol or
instant food like in regular supermarkets," Ryu Hee-woong, a manager
at the branch, said. "Our customers usually purchase fresh food that
is focused on safety, sustainability, and eco-friendliness."
(Additional reporting by Dogyun Kim, Daewoung Kim, Youngseo Choi and
Hyonhee Shin; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Alison Williams)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
