|
Actor Song Kang-ho, who in the Oscar-winning
film plays the father of the basement-dwelling Kim family, said
he was happy about the warm welcome Japanese fans had given
"Parasite" and hoped relations would continue to improve.
"I hope we can go back to the early 2000s, and have an interest
in each other's works," Song told reporters at the Japan
National Press Club. "Japan and Korea are close countries and
can relate to each other's cultures."
"Looking at how 'Parasite' has been received even in Japan, I
hope we can have a mutual interest in each other's cultures."
Song did not directly reference current relations, but the two
countries have been going through a rocky patch since last year
when a diplomatic row over Japanese compensation for forced
World War Two laborers was exacerbated by a trade dispute.
Japanese filmgoers have embraced "Parasite" since it opened in
the country on Jan. 10. The film rode its Oscar bounce to the
top of the Japanese box office last weekend and has now become
the top-grossing South Korean film in Japan of all time.
"I've come to Tokyo because I want to express my appreciation
for the interest that all the filmgoers have shown," the film's
director Bong Joon-ho told the same news conference.
"Parasite", a dark social satire about the disparities between
rich and poor in Seoul, made history this month by becoming the
first foreign-language film to take Hollywood's top prize.
The film, which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival
last year, also scooped up three other Academy Awards including
best director for Bong, who beat out Hollywood royalty including
Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.
(Reporting and writing by Chris Gallagher in Tokyo; Additional
reporting by Jane Chung in Seoul; Editing by Jan Harvey)
[© 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 This material may not be published,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.
|
|
