Movie 'Minari' Depicting Immigrant Life... Shadows of Discrimination Behind Golden Globe Win [Joohee Kang's Video Prism]

'Minari', a Universal Story of Immigrant Families
Discrimination and Prejudice Revealed by Golden Globe Win

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Movie 'Minari' still image.
Photo by Naver Movie

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] 'Minari,' directed by Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung, is a film that tells the story of a Korean immigrant family who moved to a farm in Arkansas in pursuit of the American Dream in the 1980s.

Based on director Chung's autobiographical experiences, the film portrays the life of immigrants as a universal story. It received critical acclaim at various film festivals and award ceremonies, including winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year, and actress Youn Yuh-jung becoming the first Korean actor nominated for the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Supporting Actress.

The film begins with the couple Jacob and Monica settling with their daughter Anne and son David in a wheeled container located in the middle of vast farmland, having left their original home in California.

The couple barely makes a living working as chick sexers, but Jacob dreams of running a successful Korean vegetable farm. On the other hand, Monica wants to live stably in a city close to a hospital for the sake of their children's education and David, who suffers from a heart condition.

Although they left the city to live a better, new life in the countryside, running the farm is tough, and mediating conflicts within the family is also challenging. Eventually, Monica resolves her conflict with Jacob by supporting his desire to run the farm and bringing her mother, Soonja, from Korea to the United States.

Still image from the movie 'Minari'.
Photo by Naver Movies

However, while Soonja provides comfort to Monica, she is a strange presence to Anne and David. Having hardly experienced Korean culture, the siblings find Soonja far from the grandmother they had hoped for. David complains to Soonja, who is neither kind nor able to bake cookies like other grandmothers, saying, "Grandma doesn't seem like a grandma."

While the events within the family depict conflicts arising from differing values and cultural differences, the film also indirectly portrays the discriminatory gaze the immigrant Jacob family faces in American society.

Although they share the same nationality, the family lacks racial homogeneity and feels subtle barriers even as they try to become part of American society. The family, who had only each other to rely on in the vast farmland, one day visits a church to interact with others. Although the people there appear kind and without malice on the surface, subtle prejudices against Asians are revealed in their gaze.

David hears a peer at church ask, "Why is your face so flat?" and Anne encounters a friend mimicking Chinese in front of her. These conversations fail to lead to genuine exchange and understanding, and Jacob and Monica can only watch their children with anxious eyes. Ultimately, the family never returns to the church after attending once.

Movie 'Minari' still image.
Photo by Naver Movie

The fact that 'Minari' was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film rather than Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards is likely related to the discriminatory gaze the family in the film experiences in American society.

'Minari' won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film on the 28th of last month. Although produced by the American film company Plan B and directed by an American director, 'Minari' was classified as a foreign language film under the Golden Globe rule that a film is considered foreign language if more than 50% of its dialogue is not in English, and thus was not even eligible for Best Picture.

Some have criticized this, citing Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds,' which was nominated for Best Picture in 2010 despite having about 30% English dialogue, arguing that 'Minari's' nomination for Best Foreign Language Film is clear discrimination.

While winning at a prestigious awards ceremony was good news, the reason it was not purely joyful is that 'Minari's' Best Foreign Language Film win paradoxically exposed the discriminatory gaze toward immigrants.

Regarding this, director Chung said in his acceptance speech, "'Minari' is a story about a family trying to learn their own unique language," adding, "That language is not English or a foreign language, but the language of sincerity."

Still image from the movie 'Minari'.
Photo by Naver Movie

'Minari' is a story about a family settling in a foreign land overcoming hardships through their strong bonds. Despite David's mischievous pranks and complaints that Soonja "doesn't seem like a grandma," Soonja repeatedly calls her grandchildren "pretty boy" and "oh my child," revealing her boundless affection for them.

Anne and David gradually open their hearts to the grandmother who once seemed rough and coarse, and David's heart condition slowly improves as he bonds with Soonja. Soonja plants minari seeds brought from Korea near a stream by the farm, saying that minari grows like a weed anywhere, and whether rich or poor, anyone can pick and eat it to become healthy.

Soonja's words show a strong will and belief that the family can endure the trials they will face in a foreign land, just like minari that grows well anywhere. This is why 'Minari,' which tells the story of an immigrant family, resonates universally with many viewers.

It contains a sincere perspective and attitude toward life that breaks down the boundaries of language and race, something that cannot be explained merely by the title of Best Foreign Language Film winner.