Joong Eun Park , known professionally as Kogonada (sometimes styled :: kogonada)[1] is a South Korean-born American filmmaker.[2] After first gaining recognition for his video 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 films Columbus (2017) and After Yang (2021). He has also directed episodes of the television series Pachinko (2022) and The Acolyte (2024).
Kogonada posted his first video essay in January 2012.[5] Using clips from the American television series Breaking Bad, the video displays the series' use of numerous point-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 the British Film Institute to create a video essay on the films of Hirokazu Kore-eda for their publication Sight & Sound. He subsequently did additional commissioned work for Sight & Sound[7] as well as for The Criterion Collection,[8]Samsung,[9] and the Lincoln Motor Company.[10] In March 2016, Kogonada was part of the official jury for the 16th LPA Film Festival at the Canary 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]
Kogonada next wrote, edited, and directed the science fiction film After Yang (2021), which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred 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 by IndieWire.[22][23]
In 2022, Kogonada directed four episodes of the first season of Pachinko, which garnered several accolades, including a Peabody Award and a Critics' Choice Award.[24][25] He continued his television work by directing two episodes of the Star Wars television series The Acolyte (2024).[26] He has also been tapped to direct a limited series about Vincent Chin, with Chloé Zhao executive producing.[27]
Kogonada directed the upcoming romantic fantasy film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) from a screenplay by Seth Reiss. The film stars Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell and is scheduled to be released in the United States on September 19, 2025.[28]
Technique
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 director Wes Anderson, who is known for using unusually symmetrical framing in his films.[29][30][31]
His video essays are formed through the juxtaposition of images, conveying thoughts through a particular arrangement of clips.[32] In an interview for Nashville Scene in March 2015, Kogonada likened creating video essays with preparing sushi: "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]
I like Chris 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 of heteronyms.[32]
In a 2018 interview with the Financial 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.[34]
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