Shedding the "White Oscar" Stigma with "Parasite," One Step Closer to the World Audience

Academy Museum Opens September 30... Special Exhibition Highlights Hayao Miyazaki
Focus on Asian and European Renowned Directors... Acknowledging Criticism of White Male-Dominated Awards
Vice Chair Lee Mi-kyung: "Connecting Films Reflecting Our Lives, Wherever They Come From"

"The Oscars (Academy Awards) are not an international film festival, right? They are 'local'." This is what director Bong Joon-ho said in an interview with the American media outlet Vulture in October 2019. When asked, "Why do you think Korean films, despite having a tremendous impact on the global film industry over the past 20 years, have never been nominated for an Oscar?" he replied, "It's strange, but it's nothing special."

As Director Bong said, the Oscars are an American film award. They are hosted by American film industry professionals and the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It was created in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), mentioned the need for a film association and awards. The goal was to develop it as an organization that would elevate the cultural and educational value of films.

The pure intention has faded as the scale grew. Even the trophies were not awarded solely based on merit and achievements. The greed and finances of major film companies often influenced the outcomes. There were criticisms that petty conspiracies and collusions occurred even in member selections, operating under a survival-of-the-fittest logic. However, stars on the silver screen still feel their value most keenly at the Oscars.

Their exclusive league showed a groundbreaking move last year. Director Bong’s film Parasite won four awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. It broke the mold of what was considered the most American film festival. In September last year, diversity requirements embracing social minorities were also added to the Best Picture criteria.

The willingness to humbly accept criticism of being white and male-dominated is also reflected in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opens on September 30 in Los Angeles, California. It is the largest repository in the U.S. dealing with film art, science, and production. The collection includes 8,000 items of costumes, props, production designs, makeup styling, and promotional materials. The Margaret Herrick Library and the Academy Film Archive hold 12.5 million photographs, 250,000 films and videos, 91,000 scripts, 66,500 posters, and 138,000 pieces of production art, all of which are exhibited.

An official explained, "You can see fascinating items from various fields such as the three-strip Technicolor camera used in The Wizard of Oz (1939), the spacesuit from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the shark model mold from Jaws (1975), and the gorilla soldier head from Planet of the Apes (1968)."

Bill Kramer, director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, confidently stated, "Since the Academy is a global organization, the museum will be a global institution." To make the museum a worldwide space, he plans to utilize the collections gathered over the past 90 years as well as bring in collections from the Academy’s 10,000 members worldwide for exhibition.

The star of the opening special exhibition is Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation master who won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003 for Spirited Away and received an honorary award in 2015. Director Kramer said, "He is the filmmaker with the largest and most devoted fan base in the world," adding, "He is the perfect person to reflect on and explore the history of various genres."

The Academy Museum will also highlight Asian filmmakers such as Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, Kim Ki-duk, Akira Kurosawa, and Bruce Lee in its opening exhibition. Starting on the 22nd, an online virtual program will provide time to reflect on issues of race and gender. Actors Sophia Loren, Whoopi Goldberg, Marlee Matlin, and singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie will hold discussions on "breaking the Oscar glass ceiling," and director Spike Lee will talk about Black cinema. There will also be retrospectives of director Pedro Almod?var’s works and character exhibitions of director Guillermo del Toro.

Director Kramer said, "We will devote much effort not only to exhibitions and collections but also to academic research and social education," adding, "We want to develop this space into one where we can discover and discuss the wrongs in film history together and create a new history." Jacqueline Stewart, Chief Artistic Program Officer, stated, "We want to make this a precious space that not only enhances understanding of films but also fosters empathy, tolerance, and inclusiveness."

Imi Kyung, Vice Chairwoman of the Academy Museum Board and Vice Chairwoman of CJ, shared the same view. "The dedication to global films and filmmakers gives us an invaluable opportunity to understand the bigger picture of cinema. We will connect films that reflect your and our lives closely, no matter where you come from."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.