Seoul, Jan 17 (AFP/APP): The Oscar nominations for South Korean black comedy “Parasite” are the latest illustration of its success in the United States, but a widespread aversion to subtitles still stands between Korean cinema and a breakthrough into English-language markets. Whether Bong Joon-ho’s Golden Globe-winning dark thriller will turn out to be the vanguard of a new Korean wave — after the global advance of K-pop and the popularity of K-drama — will only become clear in many years’ time, say critics. The global dominance of the English language has been a perennial challenge for filmmakers working in other tongues, and doubly so in the world’s biggest cinema market. The highest-grossing foreign-language film in the US remains Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee’s 2000 martial arts saga “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, which took US$128 million at the American box office — only about half the amount of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, that year’s chart-topper. No non-English production has ever won the Academy Award for Best Picture. While South Korean cinema has a long history — it marked its 100th anniversary last year and is critically acclaimed in Europe — the Oscar nods for “Parasite” are the first for South Koreans. … Continue reading ‘Parasite’ raises hope of breakthrough for world cinema in US