Blacklisted S Korean director hits it big

Seoul

ONLY a few months ago South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho was on a government blacklist. Now his big-budget movie Okja is being talked up as a contender for the top prize at the Cannes film festival.

The mild-mannered filmmaker - who has been compared to "Steven Spielberg in his prime" by no less than Quentin Tarantino - was secretly targeted by the now ousted president Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of a dictator. Under her, the authorities blacklisted nearly 10,000 artists and writers who expressed "left-wing thoughts" - meaning criticising her or her policies.

"It was a such a nightmarish few years that left many South Korean artists deeply traumatised," Bong told AFP. "Many are still reeling from the trauma," said the director, whose US$50 million Netflix feature - which premier…