My heart is bursting this morning. “Parasite" producer, Kwak Sin Ae, said last night, "I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now." She is absolutely right. One important note about #Oscars2020 is that at least a few of the filmmakers recognized are not only of color, they are WOMEN.
I was incredibly proud to show our children the videos of Kwak Sin Ae and Miky Lee (both women) accepting the historic Best Picture award on behalf of "Parasite" and to show them Karen Rupert Toliver accepting on behalf of "Hair Love," which I was also so, so happy to see win last night. As Toliver said during her speech, "Representation matters deeply" and last night the Oscars took a step forward in highlighting that.
Miky Lee is a Korean American woman who invested in DreamWorks and has built a diverse, $4.1-billion entertainment empire called CJ Group. SHE is responsible for growing the careers of a new generation of filmmakers, including "Parasite" director, Bong Joon Ho.
She said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, "Parasite is not a global film in terms of casting, but it's about the issues that everybody's facing now." She also said “the universal theme of the need for ‘basic human respect’ represents the kind of cross-cultural content she wants to focus on in the future... ‘I'm happy to be the bridge. Just walk over me. As long as you cross my body bridge, it means we are all successful.’”
The fact that Parasite resonated with audiences everywhere shows how we are all the same. These universal themes of rich versus poor, economic inequality, greed, desperation to improve one’s station in life, and conflicts of conscience connect us regardless of nationality or country. That having been said, the fact that this is a South Korean film - embraced and appreciated by American audiences and the Academy is also meaningful to me.
THANK YOU to women of color like Miky Lee, Karen Rupert Toliver, and Kwak Sin-ae for being leaders, visionaries, and role models for us all. Talk about Monday motivation! You inspire me and I am grateful.
And how beautiful was it to see Charlize Theron and the entire Oscar audience chanting, "Up! Up! Up!" so that the lights would come back on and Miky Lee of "Parasite" could finish the acceptance speech on behalf of the film! So many moments of solidarity, support, humanity, and love last night!
#oscars #parasite #hairlove #mondaymotivation #women #diversity #inclusion #equity #representationmatters #ThisIsAmerica #koreanamerican #africanamerican #american #asianamerican @parasitemovie @hairlovemovie