South Korean film Parasite creates history at Oscars 2020, Joaquin Phoenix shines

Apart from the best picture, Parasite won in three other categories, international feature film, director and original screenplay.

In all the categories, the South Korean film won for the first time.

The films which were in the race along with Parasite in the best picture category were Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 1917, Marriage Story, Little Women, Joker, Jojo Rabbit, The Irishman and Ford v Ferrari.

Joon Ho, the Oscar-winning director, said, "When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart which is, 'The most personal is the most creative.' That comes to us from our great Martin Scorsese."

In the best actress category, Renee Zellweger won for playing American actress Judy Garland in Judy.

Actresses Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson, Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron were in contest with Zellweger for the best actress award.

Zellweger, who had earlier won the Academy Awards in 2003, dedicated her speech to Garland who died at 47.

After receiving the award, Zellweger said, "Our heroes unite us. The best among us who inspire us to find the best in ourselves."

Beating Antonio Banderas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce, actor Joaquin Phoenix bagged the Academy Awards in the best actor category.

Hitting out at the racism, inequality and injustice, Phoenix held his award and said, "I have been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively and I think it is the time we feel or made to feel that we champion different causes but for me I see commonality."

"I think whether we talk about gender inequality or racism.. or indigenous rights or anima rights.. we are talking about the fight against injustice.

We are talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one  gender, one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit..I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world, and many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric worldview."

Here is the full list of awards:

Best Picture: Parasite

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Best Actress: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Best Director: Bond Joon Ho (Parasite)

Original Song: I’m Gonna Love Me Again, Rocketman (Paramount)

Original Score: Joker, Hildur Guðnadóttir

Best International Feature Film: Parasite

Makeup and Hair: Bombshell (Lionsgate)

Visual Effects: 1917

Film Editing: Ford v Ferrari

Cinematography: 1917

Sound Mixing: 1917

Sound Editing: Ford v Ferrari

Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

Best Documentary Short Project: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Best Documentary Feature: American Factory

Costume Design: Little Women

Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Live Action Short Film: The Neighbors’ Window

Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit

Original Screenplay: Parasite

Animated Short: Hair Love

Animated Feature: Toy Story 4

Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

(Image Credit: UNI)