Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho now at The Academy Museum

Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho is the first exhibition dedicated to the internationally acclaimed, Oscar®-winning director. The detailed exhibition showcases the visionary filmmaker’s creative process with displays of rare artifacts, film clips etc. from his acclaimed films, such as Parasite, The Host, and more.

See it only at the Academy Museum in L.A. The exhibition runs through Jan 10, 2027.

Scenes from his films are shown alongside storyboard images, movie props, photos, concept drawings – illustrating the imagination of this remarkable artist.

Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho is the first exhibition celebrating the Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker, a creator and storyteller with a singular vision whose films often focus on themes of class and social strata.

What truly sets Bong Joon Ho apart is his ability to weave social consciousness with artistic brilliance, creating films that are not only entertaining but thought-provoking. His genre-defying storytelling, complex characters, dark humor, and focus on universal social issues have earned him a place among the greatest filmmakers of his generation. Whether he’s exploring the absurdities of class, environmental destruction, or human resilience, Bong’s films transcend cultural boundaries and offer something for every viewer.

About the Exhibition:

Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho is the first exhibition dedicated to the internationally acclaimed, Oscar®–winning film director. In a continuation of the Academy Museum’s Director’s Inspiration series, this exhibition offers a focused spotlight on Bong Joon Ho’s creative process, filmography, and cinematic influences.

Whether set in 1980s Korea or an imagined future, Bong Joon Ho’s films highlight transnational and universal issues: class disparities, social injustice, the environmental crisis, and political and moral corruption. His protagonists are everyday people—unlikely heroes—who confront the absurdities of modern life. From his earliest short films to his international breakthrough The Host (Republic of Korea, 2006), through the Academy Award®–winning Parasite (Republic of Korea, 2019), Bong Joon Ho’s work defies simple categorization, embedding social critique into deeply funny, unexpected, and thought-provoking stories.

With unprecedented access to the filmmaker’s archive and personal collection, the exhibition features over 100 original objects including storyboards, research materials, film posters, concept art, creature models, props, and on-set photographs.

Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho is curated by Exhibitions Curator Michelle Puetz, with the support of Assistant Curator Nicholas Barlow, Research Assistants Josue Lopez and Jeongsil Yoon, and former Getty Marrow Curatorial Intern Janice Kim.

About the artist:

Bong Joon Ho is a highly acclaimed South Korean film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his unique storytelling, genre-blending style, and exploration of social themes.

Personal Background

• Full Name: Bong Joon Ho (봉준호)
• Born: September 14, 1969, in Daegu, South Korea.
• Early Life: Bong grew up in Seoul, where he was interested in the arts from a young age. He initially studied sociology at Yonsei University but later decided to pursue a career in filmmaking.
• Education: Bong attended the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), a prestigious film school in South Korea.

Key Themes and Style:

Bong Joon Ho is known for his genre-defying films that mix social commentary with popular genres like horror, science fiction, thriller, and dark comedy. He often incorporates:

• Class Struggles: Many of his films, like Parasite, deal with issues of inequality, class divides, and the societal pressures that result from them.
• Social Critique: His films often reflect his views on society, politics, and the human condition, making them both entertaining and thought-provoking.
• Humor and Pathos: Bong mixes humor with deep emotional moments, making his films stand out for their emotional complexity and dark comedy.
• Suspense and Genre Blending: He’s known for seamlessly blending genres like drama, horror, and action into a cohesive narrative.

Notable Films and Career Highlights:

1. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)
   • Bong’s directorial debut, this dark comedy centers around a frustrated university lecturer who starts abducting dogs to stop the constant barking. While not a commercial success, it introduced Bong’s unique style and social critique.
2. Memories of Murder (2003)
   • This film is one of Bong’s early masterpieces and is based on the real-life investigation of Korea’s first serial killer. It combines crime thriller elements with dark humor and a poignant exploration of the failings of the justice system. It was widely praised for its writing, direction, and performances.
3. The Host (2006)
   • A monster film that tells the story of a family’s attempt to rescue their daughter from a mutated creature. The film cleverly critiques environmental issues, American military presence in South Korea, and the state’s indifference to public health concerns. It became a massive success and cemented Bong’s reputation globally.
4. Mother (2009)
   • A gripping psychological thriller about a mother who seeks to clear her son’s name after he is accused of murder. This film delves deeply into maternal love, sacrifice, and the lengths one will go for family.
5. Snowpiercer (2013)
   • Bong’s first English-language film, Snowpiercer is a dystopian science fiction thriller set on a train carrying the last remnants of humanity after an environmental catastrophe. It examines class struggles and human survival in a confined space. The film was a hit in both the U.S. and internationally and starred Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and John Hurt.
6. Okja (2017)
   • This Netflix film tells the story of a young girl and her genetically modified super pig named Okja, focusing on themes of animal cruelty, corporate greed, and environmentalism. It mixed adventure and social criticism and was a critical success.
7. Parasite (2019)
   • Bong’s most internationally recognized film, Parasite won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and became the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film tells the story of a poor family infiltrating a wealthy one, and it explores class disparity with sharp wit and satire. It won multiple Oscars, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Awards and Recognition:

Academy Awards (2020): Parasite made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. It also won Best Director for Bong, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.

Cannes Film Festival: Bong won the Palme d’Or for Parasite in 2019. He also received critical acclaim at Cannes for Okja in 2017.

Golden Globes: Bong received Golden Globe awards for Best Director and Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language for Parasite.

BAFTA Awards: He won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTAs for Parasite.

Multiple Awards for The Host, Snowpiercer, andMotheras well, establishing him as a visionary filmmaker globally.

Collaborators and Influence:

Bong frequently works with a talented crew, including:

• Cinematographer: Hong Kyung-pyo, who has worked on several of Bong’s films, including Parasite and The Host.
• Composer: Lee Byung-woo, who composed the score for several of his films, including Memories of Murder and The Host.

Bong’s influence extends beyond Korea. His films have inspired international directors, such as Guillermo del Toro and Taika Waititi, and he has been celebrated for his unique ability to tell personal stories within broader, universal contexts.

Personal Philosophy and Approach to Filmmaking:

Bong is known for his commitment to socially aware filmmaking. He believes that films should entertain but also provoke thought, and he often sees film as a way to challenge the status quo or reveal uncomfortable truths about society. In interviews, he has expressed his admiration for filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese, who balance both art and commerce in their work.

He’s also known for working with tight-knit teams and being a collaborative filmmaker. In many ways, his approach to making films is both meticulous and improvisational, ensuring his narratives retain their emotional core while also allowing space for creativity.

Legacy:

Bong Joon Ho’s work has been instrumental in bringing South Korean cinema to a global audience, and Parasite solidified his place as one of the greatest directors working today. His ability to blend genres, explore social issues, and make films that appeal to both critics and audiences has made him a distinctive voice in world cinema.