---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Minari' was only eligible for the best…"
description: "\"'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language film category due to the HFPA rules on language, so the film was submitted to meet these rules..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg"
---

#  'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language…

![“'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language film category due to the HFPA rules on language, so the film was submitted to meet these rules; there was no choice involved in the matter.” quote by Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg)

> “'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language film category due to the HFPA rules on language, so the film was submitted to meet these rules; there was no choice involved in the matter.”

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The film was placed in the foreign language category solely because of rule constraints, not artistic choice.

**In simple terms:** Category placement forced by rules.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how external rules can dictate classification.

Themes

film classification industry rules language policy

Mood

reflective critical

Type

industry policy

When to use this quote

- Film festivals
- award submissions
- distribution strategy

Key Concepts

Eligibility criteria award categorization

Questions to Reflect On

- How do award rules affect a film’s perception?
- Should categories be more flexible?

A Different Perspective

Rules may not reflect the work’s true nature.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Foreign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-language/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/)

## Related quotes

> [Imagine, there is almost no possibility for a foreign language film to be distributed in America right now. That doesn't just make the industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/imagine-there-is-almost-no-possibility-for-a-foreign-language-film-to/)

[Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/)

> [When you do a film in a foreign language, you know there's a cost in it, that you know, unfortunately, the audiences of foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/when-you-do-a-film-in-a-foreign-language-you-know-there-s-a-cost-in/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [If you take 2001: A Space Odyssey as an example of somebody who creates a new language in film by what he was able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-modine/if-you-take-2001-a-space-odyssey-as-an-example-of-somebody-who/)

[Matthew Modine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-modine/)

> [I wouldn't want to do a Bollywood film per se, but I would like to do an Indian-language film. For some reason I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freida-pinto/i-wouldn-t-want-to-do-a-bollywood-film-per-se-but-i-would-like-to-do/)

[Freida Pinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freida-pinto/)

> [I go deep into the script and speak the language of the film, musically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/i-go-deep-into-the-script-and-speak-the-language-of-the-film-musically/)

[Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/)

> [The language of film is further and further away from the language of theater, and is closer to music. It’s abstract but still narrative.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-lubezki/the-language-of-film-is-further-and-further-away-from-the-language-of/)

[Emmanuel Lubezki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-lubezki/)

> [Extending the language of film sometimes starts with just trying to show one true thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-fuller/extending-the-language-of-film-sometimes-starts-with-just-trying-to/)

[Samuel Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-fuller/)

> [I definitely have moments in my life where I discovered a film, and the language of the film itself spoke to me in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-miller/i-definitely-have-moments-in-my-life-where-i-discovered-a-film-and/)

[Bennett Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-miller/)

> [If the entire product is good, then no matter what the language of the film is, people will love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prosenjit-chatterjee/if-the-entire-product-is-good-then-no-matter-what-the-language-of-the/)

[Prosenjit Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prosenjit-chatterjee/)

> [While 'Babel' is a foreign-language film in some countries, in others, it is a local film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/while-babel-is-a-foreign-language-film-in-some-countries-in-others-it/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [I like language, and in film, language is diluted by the visuals and the music. Theatre is what I was trained for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-like-language-and-in-film-language-is-diluted-by-the-visuals-and/)

[Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/)

> [Film scripts are more important for me than the language of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/film-scripts-are-more-important-for-me-than-the-language-of-the-film/)

[Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/)

> [On stage, you're not limited at all because you're free in language: language is the source of the imagination. You can travel farther in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/on-stage-you-re-not-limited-at-all-because-you-re-free-in-language/)

[Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/)

> [I see my role as a translator, telling the story that's in the book using the more visual language of film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/i-see-my-role-as-a-translator-telling-the-story-that-s-in-the-book/)

[Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/)

> [I tried to find a language for the film - not just telling stories. I picked the Picasso painting because it said more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-tried-to-find-a-language-for-the-film-not-just-telling-stories-i/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

## More by Lee Isaac Chung

> [Having parents who are chicken sexers - I had trouble explaining that to kids at school!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/having-parents-who-are-chicken-sexers-i-had-trouble-explaining-that/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [For a struggling filmmaker running low on ideas, public domain is all we have for adapting books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/for-a-struggling-filmmaker-running-low-on-ideas-public-domain-is-all/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [We grew up in rural Arkansas without any Koreans close by, and when I go to Korea feel out of place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/we-grew-up-in-rural-arkansas-without-any-koreans-close-by-and-when-i/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [The attention and all the interviews and all that, it has been wild and something that I'm not used to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/the-attention-and-all-the-interviews-and-all-that-it-has-been-wild/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I remember when I told my parents that I wanted to be a filmmaker, and no longer was I planning to be a doctor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-remember-when-i-told-my-parents-that-i-wanted-to-be-a-filmmaker-and/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [There's a constant level of risk in farming that so few movies let you feel. I wanted to show some of that, but also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/there-s-a-constant-level-of-risk-in-farming-that-so-few-movies-let/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I was so excited when 'Parasite' won the Oscar last year, and part of that was the shared Korean heritage and also it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-was-so-excited-when-parasite-won-the-oscar-last-year-and-part-of/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [There are a lot of Korean films that will show marital strife, but I'm not sure I've seen so many that will show it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/there-are-a-lot-of-korean-films-that-will-show-marital-strife-but-i-m/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I thought I would go into philosophy and political science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-thought-i-would-go-into-philosophy-and-political-science/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I think one of the things that I had to establish for myself quite early on was the rule that this is not my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-think-one-of-the-things-that-i-had-to-establish-for-myself-quite/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [Any time there is a film in a 'foreign language,' in Spanish or Korean or whatever language, it's usually not an American film. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/any-time-there-is-a-film-in-a-foreign-language-in-spanish-or-korean/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I know, it's disturbing that gentle looking people have such violence, but I believe we all have a penchant for violence in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-know-it-s-disturbing-that-gentle-looking-people-have-such-violence/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [My father came to America believing in the romantic dream of what he saw in films like 'Big Country' and 'Giant' - this fertile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/my-father-came-to-america-believing-in-the-romantic-dream-of-what-he/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [There's a lot of regret that I have about not showing my proper gratitude to my grandmother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/there-s-a-lot-of-regret-that-i-have-about-not-showing-my-proper/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [I didn't grow up breathing cinema. I had to figure it all out in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-didn-t-grow-up-breathing-cinema-i-had-to-figure-it-all-out-in-public/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

[Explore all 100 Lee Isaac Chung quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

Gene Scott

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

Browse all 21,674 Best quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language film category due to the HFPA rules on language, so the film was submitted to meet these rules; there was no choice involved in the matter.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lee Isaac Chung"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-foreign-language-film-category/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-foreign-language-film-category/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/lee-isaac-chung-5469_best_minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-fo_596860.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“'Minari' was only eligible for the best foreign language film category due to the HFPA rules on language, so…” — Lee Isaac Chung",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lee Isaac Chung",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "'Minari' was only eligible for the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-foreign-language-film-category/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/minari-was-only-eligible-for-the-best-foreign-language-film-category/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
