BONG JOON-HO AND TILDA SWINTON
BONG JOON-HO’S historic Best Picture win was a highpoint of the year. So we asked his pal TILDA SWINTON to interview him about his 2020
2020 saw the Parasite director become a household name. We asked one of his regular rep company members to talk to him about this year.
What can you see from where you are right this moment?
I can see movie posters in my office. Henri-georges Clouzot’s The Wages Of Fear, posters of Parasite, Snowpiercer, and then Hitchcock’s Psycho, etc… Humongous posters.
What has Zzuni [Bong’s Norwich terrier] been up to recently?
Zzuni’s been great. It’s quite peaceful for both of us now. Since your home is near the shore, your strolls on the beach with five dogs are a regular sport, but I live in Seoul and it takes many hours of driving to get to the beach. Zzuni loves the beach, so I took Zzuni to the winter shore some time ago. We ran on the beach and Zzuni loved it.
What has been the most enjoyable thing about 2020 so far?
Though it was awesome to run on the beach with Zzuni, what I loved most was that I was able to set sail onto the sea of books and movies. I had so many books and Blu-rays that I had bought but never had a chance to open. It was great to finally be back to these.
What have you been drawn towards reading and looking at?
Hell, drawn by the genius cartoonist Choi Gyu-seok, Tag Gallagher’s John Ford, I also enjoyed Maria João Pires’ piano performances. It was great to watch again Luchino Visconti’s films in HD, such as Rocco And His Brothers and White Nights. Don Siegel’s The Killers, Joseph Losey’s The Damned, and the amazing films directed by the upcoming directors of South Korea. Like [Yoon Dan-bi’s] Moving On or [Hong Eui-jeong’s] Voice Of Silence.
What are your favourite memories of that night you broke/made the Oscars?
That it was finally over. That we were going home. The Oscars race was a strenuous journey. Spanning over six months, it actually took longer than Parasite’s production.
Parasite resonated with so many people all over the world. How does that make you feel about the world?
Many people from all over the world resonated with the movie, and it was represented in numbers at the box office. It felt relieving, in a way. It’s a sense that we are all connected by a thin, blue string. We are all living in the same universe, whether we like it or not.
What has been the most memorable response to Parasite from a viewer?
A very close friend of mine told me that the movie made him think of his father and made him cry.
A two-part question: what are you looking forward to making in the future and what are your eyes and heart longing to see?
To make it simple and basic. Being simple in a good way. I want to make such films. I would like to get closer to the essence of cinema through this simplicity.
A good one from my son, Xavier, whom you have known since he was 15, who loves you very much and who now works full-time making movies in the props department... Does the success of a director/writer limit their creativity the more successful they become?
I think it could not be considered a success if being successful puts limits on one’s creativity. A true success will expand creative freedom and allow one to be bold with choices.
Lastly, and most importantly: when are we going to be together again?
Next year! Shall we email the details…?
And what are we going to eat to celebrate? Ripe persimmons and whisky!