Films have the power of reminding of something known yet forgotten.
Due to its very characteristic of visually dramatising each element in focus, it lends us the ability to see more closely than we ever did before. Inviting us to empathize with identities and lands that most times we have never even heard of before.
The Academy Awards or the Oscars recognises this power of films on a global stage. Let’s look at some winning works of filmmakers of Asian Origin who took storytelling to awe-inspiring heights.
Here are 10 prominent Oscar-winning (or nominated) films from these visionary filmmakers:
1. Minari (2020) – Lee Isaac Chung
Storyline: A Korean-American family struggles to build a farm in rural Arkansas while balancing cultural identity, faith, and family bonds.
Oscars: Best Supporting Actress (Youn Yuh-jung) & nominated for Best Picture.
Photo: Imdb
2. Parasite (2019) – Bong Joon-ho
Storyline: A poor Korean family cunningly infiltrates a wealthy household by posing as unrelated professionals, leading to dark and unexpected consequences.
Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature.
Photo: Imdb
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – Ang Lee
Storyline: A legendary warrior’s stolen sword sets off a thrilling journey of love, betrayal, and martial arts in ancient China.
Oscars: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score.
Photo: Imdb
4. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) – Rob Marshall
Storyline: A young girl in pre-WWII Japan is sold into geisha training, navigating jealousy, love, and survival in a strict, glamorous world.
Oscars: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction.
Photo: Imdb
5. Life of Pi (2012) – Ang Lee
Storyline: A young Indian boy survives a shipwreck, drifting across the Pacific on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, questioning faith and reality.
Oscars: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects.
Photo: Imdb
6. The Last Emperor (1987) – Bernardo Bertolucci
Storyline: The dramatic life of China’s final emperor, Pu Yi, from his lavish childhood to political downfall and ordinary life under communism.
Oscars: Won all 9 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Photo: Imdb
7. A Separation (2011) – Asghar Farhadi
Storyline: An Iranian couple’s divorce leads to a legal and moral crisis when their maid suffers a miscarriage under disputed circumstances.
Oscars: Best International Feature Film.
Photo: Imdb
8. Spirited Away (2001) – Hayao Miyazaki
Storyline: A young girl trapped in a mystical spirit world must work in a bathhouse to free herself and her parents from a witch’s curse.
Oscars: Best Animated Feature.
Photo: Imdb
9. Departures (2008) – Yojiro Takita
Storyline: A cellist loses his job and reluctantly becomes a mortician, discovering beauty and respect in preparing the dead for burial.
Oscars: Best International Feature Film.
Photo: Imdb
10. Drive My Car (2021) – Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Storyline: A grieving theater director bonds with his young female chauffeur while directing a multilingual play, confronting loss and healing.
Oscars: Best International Feature Film (nominated for Best Picture).
Photo: Imdb
Thank you for reading :) I hope you found your next movie pick.