Oscar wins for 'Parasite' ignite inspiration among Koreatown residents, Asian filmmakers worldwide
KOREATOWN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The South Korean film "Parasite" winning the Oscar for best picture was a plot twist that the world didn't see coming.
In the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, the celebrations have just begun.
"It was like when your team wins the Super Bowl and it was an underdog. It felt amazing," Korean-American filmmaker Jon Maxwell said.
Some say the film is an inspiration to shoot for the stars.
"We need to dream higher," working mom Emily Nahm said.
The news about the four Oscar wins - including directing for Bong Joon-Ho, best international film and best original screenplay - set social media on fire from Hollywood to Asian communities worldwide.
"Obviously, this is going to set a good inspiration and role model," Koreatown attorney Daniel Lee said.
Thousands of people laughed at a tweet about rising expectations.
"...tomorrow our mothers will have another standard by which we will be measured. #WhyDontYouHaveAnOscar," Korean-American actor Paul Bae wrote on Twitter.
But Lee was only half-laughing.
"I wouldn't mind myself telling my own kids, 'Look up to him,'" Lee said.
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Maxwell said the movie, which centers around income equality's wild influence on two families, has opened his eyes to personal stories that he could have told but dismissed because he didn't think audiences would care.
"A lot of insecurity about, 'Will it sell?' If it is authentic, it will sell. It has opened an obstacle in my mind," said Maxwell, who is set to release the short film "Penrose Avenue."
Joon-Ho had raised doubts about American audiences understanding the messages of the sub-titled film. The four Oscar statues are proof of his skills.
"He just seamlessly shifts from comedy to horror to drama. You know a laugh is a laugh, no matter what language you are speaking," Maxwell said.
