Concrete Utopia Becomes South Korean Representative At The 96th Academy Awards

Lee Byung Hun (Lotte Ent.)

JAKARTA - The Korean Film Council proposed Concrete Utopia as South Korean representatives at the 96th Academy Awards. They became the fourth country to officially register films to compete in the prestigious event.

Thursday, August 17, the Korean Film Council announced this news while explaining why they chose the film directed by Uhm Tae Hwa. Previously, they considered Concrete Utopia and Cobweb but in the end they sent Concrete Utopia.

"We want to choose films that feel Korean but also adjust global standards, create a balance between artistic and mainstream and can impress Academy Awards that are often considered conservative," the jury quoted SportsChosun as saying.

In addition to the successful film, Concrete Utopia is also considered to have something that meets the social issues that occur.

In Korea, apartment buildings symbolize class and wealth. After knowing complex apartments for low income Hwang Goong stands tall, the wishes of the characters to struggle are very well photographed," they said.

"When a global recession and natural disasters hit each side, Concrete Utopia presents not a hero but a human being trying to survive. This touches on the class theme in the film Parasite," he said.

South Korea won the Academy Awards through Parasite in 2019. This film not only won Best International Feature Film but also Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Parasite also made history as a non English film that won the Dramaic Film.

Concrete Utopia tells the story of the city of Seoul that experienced the earthquake. Among the disasters, Hwang Goong's apartment is the only building that survives. The residents of Hwanggong tried to survive in the midst of the disaster.

Young Tak (Lee Byung Hun) leads Hwang Goong's residential apartment. The earthquake that occurred made Young Not try to keep the resident outside the apartment. He met Min Sung (Park Seo Joon) and was chosen to help him.

In addition to the two, this film is played by Park Bo Young, Kim Sun Young, Park Ji Hu, and Kim Do Yoon. This film won 1 million viewers in four days of screening in South Korean theaters.

On the other hand, apart from South Korea, several countries such as Estonia, Switzerland, and Tajikistan also announced their choice for the Best International Feature Film category. Indonesia is reportedly announcing its choice in September.