Seoul (AFP)
Joy, pride and an ounce of disbelief prevailed in South Korea on Monday after the Oscar triumph of the South Korean film "Parasite", a moviegoer even advocating declaring a holiday to celebrate this historic harvest.
First feature film in a foreign language to obtain the prize for "best film", Hollywood's flagship award, "Parasite" also won the statuette for the best original script, while Bong Joon-ho was crowned "best director".
Even President Moon Jae-in was delighted with this triumph in the form of international recognition for South Korean cinema.
"I express my gratitude (to Mr. Bong) for this pride that is reflected in the (Korean) people," said Mr. Moon.
"I am very proud of director Bong Joon-ho and the actors, as well as the whole team."
"I'm in tears," wrote a film buff on Twitter. "I am so proud of Bong Joon-ho. It is amazing to hear a thank you speech in Korean."
"Shouldn't we declare this holiday," joked another.
"Wow! Congratulations to director Bong, the team of #Parasite and the cinema of the Republic of Korea", tweeted for his part the ambassador of the United States in Seoul, Harry Harris, attaching to his message a photo from jjapaguri, an instant noodle dish that appears in the film.
Darcy Paquet, a Seoul-based film critic who wrote the English subtitles for "Parasite", spoke of an "unreal" moment.
"I hope all Korean directors will share this moment and be proud, because it is the hard work and professionalism of the entire film industry that has made it possible to shoot a film like" Parasite +. "
Director Kim So-young, who presented Mr. Bong's film "Barking Dogs" to the organizers of the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2000, said the victory was "well deserved".
"I have been following his work for 20 years and I can say that he is a real artist," she told AFP.
"I am very happy as a South Korean director, because Bong has always been a respected colleague who has never ceased to have a social conscience and to be a committed citizen, even outside the film industry. . "
© 2020 AFP