Some interesting movies came out at that time like "Christmas in August" (1998), the first Korean movie I got excited about. At the time, movies were just a hobby, a way to learn the language and the culture. I came to Korea in 1997 to teach English at Korea University. How did you get started in the Korean film industry? The following are excerpts from the interview.ĭarcy Paquet at a cafe in northern Seoul on June 14. Then you can get closest to the intended meaning."Ī soft-spoken man with eyes that light up when discussing Korean cinema, the Massachusetts native spoke about working with Bong and other famous Korean directors and how he found his niche in Korean cinema. It's best to have the option to ask the director. You're often making creative decisions when translating subtitles, because there are so many ways to interpret the same line of dialogue. "To get great subtitles, you need a good translator and a good system in place. In an interview with on June 14, Paquet said he was happy that the art of subtitle translation was in the news and that a close partnership with the director, combined with good planning and ample time for subtitle revision, ultimately led to a better result. Critics have praised the quality of the movie's subtitles, saying they allow foreign audiences "to laugh in all the right places." The black comedy delivers a specific kind of humor through its dialogue. Most recently, he has grabbed the media spotlight as translator of the English subtitles for director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite," which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Darcy Paquet, the English-language subtitle translator of Bong Joon-ho's Palme d'Or-winning "Parasite" (2019), on June 14 poses at a cafe in Seoul.ĭarcy Paquet, an American movie critic who has lived in Korea for close to 20 years, wears many hats in the Korean film industry: critic, lecturer, author, translator, artistic director and part-time actor.