Despite South Korea’s impact on global filmmaking, in the past 20 years, no Korean film has ever received a nomination from the Academy–until Parasite, in 2020.
Age of Shadows, Warner first Korean-language production, has been selected as South Korea’s contender for the foreign-language Academy Award race.
The film (aka “Mil-jeong”) is a 1920s-set espionage drama involving resistance fighters trying to smuggle explosives from Shanghai into Japanese-occupied Korea.
It stars Song Kang-ho (“The Throne”) as a Korean-born Japanese officer who has divided loyalties and Gong Yoo (“Train to Busan”) as the leader of the Korean resistance group. Last year, Song joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as one of the first Korean members.
The selection was made by a special committee of the Korean Film Council. Age of Shadows earned high scores not only in terms of its aesthetic achievement, but also of the director and the actors’ recognition, international sales and marketing,” said KOFIC in a statement.
Submissions for the best foreign-language film Oscar section close at the end of September.
Nominations will not be announced by AMPAS until January.
