It is pointed out that it is not racial discrimination or English-centeredness over the fact that the film’Minari’, which contains the autobiographical story of the second-generation Korean-American director Jeong Isak, was nominated for a foreign language film in the Golden Globe Awards.
The Hollywood Foreign Journalists Association (HFPA), which supervises the Golden Globe, announced the nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards on the 3rd (local time). Director Jeong Isaac’s’Minari’ was nominated for a Foreign Language Film Award.
‘Buttercup’, which is about to be released in Korea in March, describes the story of a Korean family who immigrated to Arkansas in the United States, dreaming of an American dream in the 1980s, in hopes of starting anew. Actors Steven Yeon, Han Ye-ri, and Yoon Yeo-jung appeared.
It was produced by Plan B, the production company of Hollywood star Brad Pitt, and despite being a Korean-American, co-producer and starring with director Isaak Jeong, Steven Yeon was nominated for a foreign language film award. This is because of the Golden Globe’s rule that if more than 50% of the dialogue is not English, it is classified as a foreign language movie.
It contains the autobiographical story of the director rooted in the United States, and even though the people who participated in the production are Korean-Americans,’Minari’ was blocked in front of the English-centered golden globe wall because the conversation in the film is conducted in Korean.
Immediately after the announcement of the candidates for the Golden Globe Awards, foreign media also poured out voices of criticism. The LA Times said, “‘Buttercup’ deserves better treatment than the outdated Golden Globe rules,” and the New York Times (NYT) criticized HFPA’s choice, saying, “It made it look stupid.”
Hollywood, the center of the global film industry, has been criticized as being exclusively exclusive to non-English-speaking films. Last year, director Bong Joon-ho, who broke the language barrier and the stubborn whiteist wall with the film’Parasite’, swept the awards at the international awards ceremony. The awards ceremony is just a local festival.”
Voices of criticism also flowed within the United States. Joaquin Phoenix, who received the Best Actor Award at the 73rd British Academy Awards in 2020 for the movie’Joker’, said, “At the same time, very confused. It is because fellow actors who should be treated do not enjoy the same privileges as me.”
He said he was part of the racial issue, and said he was not proud. “It seems to be clearly showing the message that we are not welcomed here by people of color. “I think it is the job of those who create discrimination and benefit from removing repressive structures.”
Film critic Oh Dong-jin said, “If you lower the threshold, you can increase the number of foreign works, so it will not be easy unless you change the traditional principles on your own at the industrial and national level,” he said. “It is also a good achievement to be nominated for the Foreign Language Film Awards.”
Director Jeong Isak expressed it in comparison to’love between family’, saying that Buttercup’s tough vitality and adaptability resemble her family. Contrary to the message that’water parsley grows well anywhere’ in the movie, it received a regretful evaluation abroad, but attention is paid to whether it will succeed to the reputation of Korean movies after’parasite’.
[ 경기신문 = 신연경 기자 ]