‘Parasite’ proves successful in the South African box office

Oscar winner “Parasite” is a big hit in South Africa.

Although South African press has often linked Korea with the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the acclaimed film has still managed to attract audiences in the country.

According to IXPE, a Korean film distribution company promoting “Parasite” in South Africa, the film first premiered in 18 out of approximately 100 theaters last October.

However, the film failed to resonate with the local moviegoers then and stopped screening a month after its release. But the film found itself back in the spotlight when it won four Oscars last month. Four days after the news hit the country, the film was re-released in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. So far, the film has sold over 20,000 tickets.

“Parasite” is the first film from Korea, China or Japan to be released commercially in the country.

“In the South African film market, which usually leaves no room for Asian films due to the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters, ‘Parasite’ showed that a well-made Korean film can resonate with the local audiences,” said Cho Chang-hyeon, a representative of IXPE. “As Korean films gain ground in the South African film market, considered as an important gateway to expand into other African film markets, we expect to reap more profits as we tap into the possibility [of widening our range of audiences].”

By Lee Jae-lim