Schwarzman Session - In the Director’s Chair: A Dialogue with Bong Joon-Ho

Schwarzman Sessions are peer-led gatherings where conversations generate collaborations and move ideas into action. Because seats are limited, registrants will be automatically placed on the waitlist and will be notified via email if they are selected to participate. 

Join Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho for a dynamic dialogue on the art of filmmaking and its success in reaching a global audience. From Memories of Murder (2003), Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017), to Parasite (2019),— which won the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture—his acclaimed work intertwines socially incisive wit with the twisting of genre conventions. His latest release, Mickey 17, marks a creative continuation of these themes for Dir. Bong, blending biting and character-driven social satire with high-concept tentpole science fiction.

This Session will explore a multiplicity of questions, including: How is a film developed from initial concept to final screenplay? How are social and political themes interwoven into Joon-Ho's narratives, and how can the evolution of film be viewed as a tool for social change? What is the role of cinema in shaping such conversations? This Session will offer Yale students and the wider community an opportunity to engage with Bong Joon-Ho on these topical questions, encouraging a rare glimpse into the mind of a master filmmaker. Lunch provided. 

Mickey 17 is the eighth feature film from the acclaimed Bong Joon Ho (Director/Writer), following on from Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000),  Memories of Murder (2003), The Host (2006), Mother (2009), Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017) and Parasite (2019). The modern-day classic Memories of Murder delves into the investigation behind a well-known serial murder case that was never solved, depicting the authoritarian era of the time with satire and sharp insight. The Host takes as its basis the abduction of a young girl by a strange creature that crawls out of the Han River, turning the monster movie genre on its head while also issuing stinging social commentary. Mother, the story of a woman trying to protect her son from a murder charge, is a dark portrait of motherly love taken to the extreme, while the sci-fi film Snowpiercer portrays the last remnants of humanity in a future world that has been frozen over due to mankind's overdone efforts to fix global warming. Okja tells of the country girl Mija's adventure to rescue the genetically engineered “super pig” she raised from the profit-driven corporation that owns it. Finally, Parasite, which won the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture, among many other accolades, follows the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.

Known for his cutting, socially incisive wit and twisting of genre conventions, Bong Joon Ho has continually raised questions about social institutions and societal inequalities with his unique blend of humor, emotion, and suspense. Mickey 17 marks a continuation of these themes for Dir. Bong, blending biting and character-driven social satire with high-concept tentpole science fiction.

You may also be interested in Bong Joon Ho in Conversation with Gregory Crewdson on May 5 at 5pm