In this black comedy film Taika Waititi

Emily Harrison

The name Bong Joon-ho would not have had much significance to the casual movie enthusiast however, because of Bong’s historic Oscar win at the 92 nd Academy Awards his name will forever be recognised in the film industry.

If you were not one of the millions of people who tuned in to watch the Oscars on 9 February, Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker who has been quietly creeping up on the academy with his genre-mixing filmography. His films include some English language films such as the critically acclaimed Snowpiercer (2013) that featured Hollywood heavyweights Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Octavia Spencer.

One might also recognize his work in the Netflix original film Okja (2017) which criticized the food industry by telling the story of a young girl (Ahn Seo-hyun) who raises a genetically modified super pig. He also gained a lot of critical acclaim and controversy in South Korea with his Korean films, Memories of Murder (2003), The Host (2006) and Mother (2009). But certainly, his most pivotal and critically acclaimed movie is Parasite (2019). Parasite is a dark comedy that follows a poor South Korean family, the Kims as they slowly impose themselves on the lives of a rich family, the Parks. The Kims con their way into becoming servants in the Park household but things get complicated and their plan begins to unravel. The film features an amazing cast with Song Kang-ho (who you may recognize from Snowpiercer and The Interview), Sun-kyun Lee and Yeo-jeong Jo. Parasite started to garner attention at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered. The film won the coveted Palme d’Or (the highest prize at Cannes), a particularly impressive feat as it was the first film since 2013’s Blue is The

What is

Sustainable Fashion?

Warmest Colour to win the award through a unanimous vote. So, to say that Parasite came into awards season with a bang, is an understatement. When Parasite was released in theatres, it became a record-breaking film for Bong Joon-ho as it was the first of his films to gross over $100 million worldwide and in the UK, it made £1.4 million in its opening weekend, a new record for a nonEnglish language film.

Not only did the film make an unprecedented amount for a non-English language film in the international market, but it was also extremely well received by critics. The film has 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 96% on Metacritic and featured in the top ten of the year lists of 240 critics. The critics praised the film for its in-depth look at social issues with many critics calling it a masterpiece or the film of the year. All of this hype lead to a much-anticipated Oscars night with fans and critics wondering what Parasite’s run at the awards show would look like. The 92 nd Academy Awards was swamped in controversy, from there being no female directors nominated for the Best Director category and an extreme lack of POC nominees to very famous faces being left out of the memorial-specifically Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce. When the nominees were announced on 13 January, the awards show looked like it would be its usual elitist self with mostly white males. However, Parasite surprised everyone by taking home the biggest awards of the night. Parasite began by winning Best Original Screenplay which was written by Bong Joon-ho himself and Han Jin-won, where they were the first ever Asian nominees. The film then went on to win Best International Feature Film which was a new category introduced by The Academy this year, replacing the previous title of Best Foreign Language Feature, as the word ‘foreign’ has negative connotations to anyone outside of the

Dani van der Horst S ustainable fashion is a movement that aims to establish an ethical and more ecologically friendly fashion industry. According to United Nations Climate Change News, the fashion industry contributes to approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to long supply chains and energy extensive production processes. Aside from contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, the fashion industry also contributes to about 20% of global wastewater. It takes approximately 20000 litres of water to produce a single kilogram of cotton. This is equivalent to a single t-shirt and a pair of jeans. In recent years, the textile industry has also been identified as a major contributing factor to plastic entering oceans. The current dynamic of the fashion industry is largely driven by “fast-fashion”. The “fast-fashion” approach emphasises cheaper and faster production. This often results in poor working conditions and poor pay for factory workers. The UN has declared the fashion industry “an environmental and social emergency”. It is crucial to establish more sustainable and ethical fashion options. As a student, trying to become more sustainable is a very daunting task. However, becoming more sustainable might not be as challenging as you originally thought. Dominique Marais is a fashion lecturer at London International School of fashion (LISOF). She explains that “living sustainably as a student (or for anyone) is not something that comes naturally to us. It’s not like school taught us how to reduce microplastics in our personal fashion flare or how to minimize our carbon footprint when purchasing clothes”. It is something that involves a large amount of self-educating and continuous active effort, but it is possible. Oftentimes you will go through your closet and find items of clothing that you haven’t worn in over six months, it is important to get rid of these items. Marais suggests going through your closet at least once every six months, to ensure you are not hoarding unnecessary clothes that have little or no use to you. This may seem contradictory, as sustainability is about reducing waste. However, it is the first step towards a trendy and sustainable closet. When cleaning out your closet, do not simply throw your clothes away. You can thrift your good quality items for cash and donate the other items to charities. According to Marais, the most important word when it comes to sustainability is “reduce”. In this case, it is important to reduce what you have but it is also important to “reduce your waste footprint”. Adding items of clothing to your closet that can be worn multiple ways, is a smart fashion choice as it reduces the number of similar items you may unnecessarily collect. Try repurposing clothes that have been damaged or no longer fit you. Pinterest and YouTube are great platforms to find creative inspiration. Marais suggests “clothes swapping” as another alternative to throwing clothes away. Exchange the clothes you no longer wear with friends for the clothes that they no longer wear. Purchasing Image: Cletus Mulaudi West. This win already made Parasite’s, and Bong Joon-ho’s, Oscar run historical as it was the first film ever to win the award under this title.

Bong Joon-ho then won the Oscar for Best Director, in his acceptance speech Joon-ho seemed genuinely shocked and even stated he thought he was done for the night. During his speech he also took a moment to thank his fellow nominees stating that Martin Scorsese (nominated for The Irishman) is one of his biggest inspirations;but Parasite was not done yet and walked away with the biggest award of the night: Best Picture. When Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture, it became the first non-English language film ever to win the award. Not only is this win history in the making but it was also extremely well received by the best and brightest in Hollywood as everyone in the Oscar’s crowd was cheering for the film and ensuring that the cast had enough time to say their acceptance speech. Bong Joon-ho’s incredible film not only made history but also paved the way for a more inclusive future. Parasite has opened new doors for what the film world used to consider ‘foreign’. The whole concept of ‘foreignness’ is an outdated one, and although The Academy is making some progress with the Best International Feature Film category, we have to question why the separate category is even a thing. Film is meant to break rules and boundaries, it is meant to connect people in spite of different languages, just like Parasite does, so why are award shows so persistent in creating such a clear divide between English and nonEnglish language films?

Image: Cletus Mulaudi

clothing from thrift stores is another sustainable option. Thrifted clothes do not make use of any more energy extensive production methods. It also offers an opportunity to find unique items. The Vintage Square Thrift Fair is a great place to start if you are new to thrifting. It takes place on the first Saturday of every month, at the Duncan Yard Centre on Prospect Street in Hatfield. There are also many thrift stores that make use of social media and other online spaces, as a platform to sell secondhand clothing.

It is quite challenging to shop sustainable brands but some of Marais’ favourites include Hannah Lavery, Nude Ritual and HempLove. The best way to shop for new clothes sustainably, is to find local brands. This way, less carbon fuel is used to transport items. Marais’ favourite local brands include Loved by Elli (a local jewelry brand), Temple of Reason, ESJAY Sportswear, Earthbound Traveller’s Co. and VERSE. Remember that being more sustainable is a process and that it is okay to slip up on occasion. As Marais says “don’t beat yourself up! Remember this is a process of trial and error. You are going to find yourself at some point buying something from Zara, and that’s okay. I would be lying if I haven’t purchased something from a fast fashion brand whilst attempting to be more sustainable. But when this happens, make sure you use that clothing item to its fullest”. Try to stick to local brands as much as possible, not only is this a more sustainable choice regarding carbon fuel, items are usually of a higher quality and last a lot longer. Plus, supporting local brands encourages our economy by creating more jobs for South Africans.

Slow fashion is about “establishing a consciousness towards the process before and after the production of a garment”. It encourages quality over quantity. This is done to motivate consumers to avoid unnecessarily updating their wardrobe due to poorly made garments. Marais suggests that “slow fashion also includes ethical fashion, meaning that brands do not exploit their workers and their product does not bring harm to the environment and animals pre and post production”. Research your favourite brands to see how transparent they are. “Ask yourself, how does this brand benefit the environment? Also look into the working conditions of the factories producing the garments” says Marais.

Marais suggests following the hashtag #whomademyclothes to stay up to speed on where your clothes are coming from.

South African cruelty-free leather brand, Nick & Nichols, is a good example of a sustainable brand. Nick and Nicole Nyalungu began their journey in 2016, experimenting with rubber tire tubes as an alternative to leather. They create bags, pencil cases and even earrings out of these tubes and their product has been dubbed “vegan leather” because of its striking resemblance to actual leather. Nick states that “there are so many problems in the world that human beings have put there and we need to find ways to reduce the impact of them”. By repurposing old tire tubes, Nick states that he feels as though they are helping stop those tubes from ending up in the ocean or a landfill. The rubber used in most tires contains chemicals and heavy metals. When left to break down in landfills or near bodies of water, these toxic elements leach into the environment and increase toxicity levels. By repurposing this rubber into something else that is useable, this process is avoided. Nick says that the journey towards sustainability is about having a desire to make change. Nicole says that everyone has the potential to be more sustainable. She says that there are so many ways to repurpose things, especially things that we do not want to end up in landfills. Nick & Nichols is based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga and is currently finishing up the process of becoming a solely online shop. You can follow them on Instagram, @nickandnichols or on Facebook, Nick & Nichol’s for more information and for updates on the new online shop. They will also be attending markets around the country, so keep an eye out for them.

Sustainable fashion is about making better choices as a whole. Choices that are better for the planet, more ethically grounded and promote a slower rate of consumerism. There is no perfect way to be sustainably fashionable. It is an ever-changing process and requires some effort on your part. If you start out slow and focus on shifting your mindset, sustainability is sure to form an integral part of your life. Always try to make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing clothing, but don’t become disheartened if you slip up occasionally.