Bong Joon Ho Is Optimistic About The Future Of Film: “COVID Will Pass And Cinema Will Continue”

We are on the verge of the Opening Night of this year’s Venice Film Festival. Unlike last year, the event is going to feature many in-person screenings and discussions, as the industry hopes that the end of COVID is coming soon. And according to this year’s Jury President, Bong Joon Ho, the filmmaker believes that despite all the chaos it has caused in the industry, COVID will not be the end of cinema.

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Speaking at this year’s Venice Film Festival (via THR), Bong Joon Ho talked about the trials and tribulations the film industry around the world has experienced due to COVID. However, the Oscar-winning filmmaker isn’t convinced the pandemic is going to mark the end of traditional cinema.

“Because of COVID in Korea and in the rest of the world, filmmakers had a very tough time last year and this year. But in a way, looking back, it feels like this was a test, and what it has shown is the life force of cinema,” Bong said. “As a filmmaker, I don’t believe the history of cinema could be stopped so easily, so COVID will pass and cinema will continue.”

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This year, Bong leads the Venice jury, which also includes folks such as Chloe Zhao, Virginie Efira, Saverio Costanzo, Sarah Gadon, Alexander Nanau, and Cynthia Erivo. Last year’s top prize at the Venice Film Festival, known as the Golden Lion, went to Zhao and her eventual Oscar-winning feature, “Nomadland.” Previous winners over the past several years include Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” and Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.”

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As you can see, winning the Golden Lion in recent years typically leads to some serious awards season success. This year’s crop of films that are playing in the official competition include highly anticipated features such as Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers,” Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.”

Keep an eye on our coverage of this year’s Venice Film Festival here.