Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer and Okja director Bong Joon-ho’s new film, Parasite, has won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. The South Korean auteur was declared the winner by a jury headed by Birdman director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Notably, Bong Joon-ho is the first Korean recipient of the award.
Other members of the jury included Elle Fanning, Maimouna N’Diaye, Kelly Reichardt, Enki Bilal, Alice Rohrwacher, Robin Campillo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Paweł Pawlikowski.
Parasite is a social-comedy that revolves around a lower-class family trying to infiltrate the lives of a rich household.
The film received rave reviews at the festival premiere and was considered a top contender for the Palme d’Or besides Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, Terrence Mallick’s A Hidden Life and Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You.
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda had won the prize for his film Shoplifters at last year’s edition of the festival.