Minari
Touching, acclaimed family portrait about a Korean-American family with a dream: a farm of their own that will give them a better life.
As a biologist and son of Korean immigrants, director Lee Isaac Chung uses poetical references to Mother Earth in his film. For example, the film title ‘Minari’ refers to the Korean name for an Asian plant that starts to grow well in its second year. A nice metaphor for migration and the proverbial roots that immigrants bring with them in a new country. Jacob Yi dreams of his own Garden of Eden where he can grow Korean vegetables. He and his young family are exchanging city life for rural Arkansas. While pursuing the typical American dream, the family must patiently learn to cope with many of the challenges of their new existence, which are characterized in the screenplay by the four elements of air, fire, water, and earth. The film received six Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Youn Yuh-jung).