Bong Joon-ho's Parasite won the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2019, making him the first Korean filmmaker to receive the festival's top prize.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival
- Dates
- 14–25 May 2019
- Palme d'Or winner
- Parasite (Bong Joon-ho)
- Jury President
- Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Honorary Palme d'Or
- Alain Delon
- Opening film
- The Dead Don't Die (Jim Jarmusch)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Cannes holds its annual film festival each May in the French Riviera city, convening an international jury to award prizes across multiple categories. In 2019, Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu presided over the main competition jury, overseeing a selection of films from around the world.
The 72nd Cannes Film Festival ran from 14 to 25 May 2019. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's film Parasite was awarded the Palme d'Or, the festival's top honour. The Honorary Palme d'Or went to French actor Alain Delon, and the festival paid tribute to the late Agnès Varda by placing her image on its official poster.
Bong Joon-ho became the first Korean filmmaker to win the Palme d'Or, a distinction that elevated international attention on Parasite. The film subsequently won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, cementing its status as a landmark in South Korean and world cinema.