A few months ago, “Parasite” (Dir. Bong Joon-Ho) hit the mark by taking home 4 Oscars, including “Best Film” and “Best International Film”.
That it’s the first time that a film has won both awards, makes me reflect on the influence that “Parasite” has had on current and future cinema that awaits the seventh art.
YES, that’s the answer. “Parasite” is a reflection point that has opened the ban on the recognition of cinema beyond USA. Society is used to “blockbusters” of explosions, fights and action that lead to millions at the box office. I love that cinema, yes, but there is life beyond that, and thanks to Bong Joon-Ho, people have realized it.
It is necessary to break the language barrier and get used to watching movies in the original version, even with subtitles, because (due to the laziness of reading and watching at the same time) we are losing hundreds of audiovisual works of immense quality that do not receive the deserved recognition for the fact that it was shot in a language other than ours.
And yes, I include myself in that bag because human beings are lazy and we prefer to watch a movie with a rating of 5 in our language than a movie with a rating of 8 in a different language, simply to avoid the minimum effort of alternating the view.
On the other hand, although it’s not the case of “Parasite”, many people believe that if it does not carry a great brand behind it, the film will not meet expectations. That is, if there are no major studios financing the project, it’s not worth watching. That isn’t true. Small movies matter too, and even if they don’t have millions in budget, I’m sure they were created with a lot more effort than some of the big productions.
Finally, crossing borders, not only of language but of other countries and continents. There is quality cinema out there that is going unnoticed like French or Latin American cinema. We are all comfortable at home, yes, but if one is really interested in a subject (I’m not just talking about cinema), it is necessary to know how it develops in different parts of the world, from other perspectives and other points of view. This act will help us to grow as people and to have a much broader vision.
In conclusion, I’m optimistic about a greater openness of cinematographic art that is taking place slowly. Filmmakers and actors who were in the background are being recognized for new works that audiences are watching more and more. Cinema happens in all parts of the world, we just need to open our eyes a bit more.
The back row 
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