Kogonada | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kogonada in 2017 | |
| Born | 박중은 | Park Joong Eun Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupations | Video essayist, filmmaker |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | kogonada |
Park Joong Eun (Korean: 박중은),[1] known professionally asKogonada, is an American filmmaker.[2] After first gaining recognition for hisvideo essays that analyze the content, form, and structure of various films and television series, he has become best known for writing and directing the feature filmsColumbus (2017) andAfter Yang (2021). His accolades include aSundance Film Festival Best Film award as well as nominations for theCannes Film Festival and theBritish Academy Film Awards.
Kogonada was born inSeoul.[3] He emigrated from South Korea as a child and was raised in Indiana and Chicago.[4]
Kogonada posted his firstvideo essay in January 2012.[5] Using clips from the American television seriesBreaking Bad, the video displays the series' use of numerouspoint-of-view shots from unusual angles and objects. Kogonada was inspired to create the video essay while he watched the series, noticing a recurring visual aesthetic used throughout the series.[6][7] In February 2013, he was commissioned by theBritish Film Institute to create a video essay on the films ofHirokazu Kore-eda for their publicationSight & Sound. He subsequently did additional commissioned work forSight & Sound[7] as well as forThe Criterion Collection,[8]Samsung,[9] and theLincoln Motor Company.[10] In March 2016, Kogonada was part of the official jury for the 16thLPA Film Festival at theCanary Islands, Spain, where he taught a master class and had screenings for 14 of his video essays at the "Bande à part" section.[11][12][13]
His feature directorial debut wasColumbus (2017), which premiered at theSundance Film Festival before receiving a limited theatrical release by theSundance Institute on August 11, 2017.[14][15][16] He also wrote and edited the film.[14] The film received wide acclaim from critics and garnered nominations at theIndependent Spirit Awards andGotham Independent Film Awards.[17][18][19]
Kogonada next wrote, edited, and directed the science fiction filmAfter Yang (2021), which had its world premiere at theCannes Film Festival and its North American premiere at theSundance Film Festival, where it won theAlfred P. Sloan Prize.[20][21] The film was favorably received by critics and in 2024 was named the 9th best science fiction film of the 21st century byIndieWire.[22][23]
In 2022, Kogonada directed four episodes of the first season ofPachinko, which garnered several accolades, including aPeabody Award and aCritics' Choice Award.[24][25] He continued his television work by directing two episodes of theStar Wars television seriesThe Acolyte (2024).[26] He has also been tapped to direct a limited series aboutVincent Chin, withChloé Zhao executive producing.[27]
Kogonada directed the romantic fantasy filmA Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) from a screenplay by Seth Reiss. The film, released in the United States September 19, 2025, starsMargot Robbie andColin Farrell.[28]
In September 2025, Kogonada served as a member of the Competition Jury at the30th Busan International Film Festival.[29]
Kogonada's video essays typically showcase a particular theme or aesthetic regularly used by a filmmaker either throughout a filmography or within a single work.[7] Some examples are his three video essays on the aesthetics of American directorWes Anderson, who is known for using unusually symmetrical framing in his films.[30][31][32]
His video essays are formed through the juxtaposition of images, conveying thoughts through a particular arrangement of clips.[33] In an interview forNashville Scene in March 2015, Kogonada likened creating video essays with preparingsushi: "With sushi, every cut matters. And so do the ingredients. Those two ongoing choices are the difference. What you select, and how you cut it." In comparing written essays with visual essays, Kogonada noted how words form precise observations of ideas, while visuals could convey a particular idea without providing a definite explanation. He explained that "[i]f you want to delve deep into theory, texts are the perfect medium .... However, when I'm making visual essays, I treat words as supplementary."[7]
Kogonada took his pseudonym fromKogo Noda, a frequent screenwriter ofYasujirō Ozu's films.[2][34] He explained toFilmmaker:
I likeChris Marker's idea about your work being your work. I’ve also never identified much with my American name, which always feels a little strange to see or hear ... And I'm quite fond ofheteronyms.[33]
In a 2018 interview with theFinancial Times, Kogonada stated:
If I'm honest, the pseudonym was about being an Asian-American too. There is something about being an immigrant in America and having the power to name yourself.[35]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Columbus | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | After Yang | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2025 | A Big Bold Beautiful Journey | Yes | No | No | Also executive producer |
| 2026 | Zi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Pachinko | Yes | Yes | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | The Acolyte | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard Award | After Yang | Nominated |
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Pachinko | Won[36] |
| Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Series - Longform | Won | ||
| Sundance Film Festival | Alfred P. Sloan Best Feature Film | After Yang | Won | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| 2023 | British Academy Film Awards | Best International TV Series | Pachinko | Nominated |
While writing a Ph.D. dissertation on Yasujirō Ozu, Kogonada—the nom de guerre of the Korean-born director, inspired by Ozu's screenwriter, Kogo Noda—came across an article about a little-known town called Columbus, Indiana.
