Minari (Dir: Lee Isaac Chung, 2020, USA, 116 mins)
Lee Isaac Chung’s tender and gentle depiction of the American dream sees Jacob – Steven Yeun, Okja (Bong Joon Ho, 2017), Burning (Lee Chang-Dong, 2018), The Walking Dead) – and Monica (Yeri Han) moving their children, Anne and fragile David (Alan S. Kim, extremely winning), to 1980s Arkansas for a fresh start.
Jacob wants to start a farm for Korean fruits and vegetables to offer the tide of fellow immigrants a taste of home. Between the rigours of this new enterprise and their day job sexing chickens, a carer is required for the children, and arrives in the form of their grandmother (the revered Youn Yuh-Jung).
Deftly pulling together its multiple threads, this subtle and moving film is one to be cherished.
Watch Trailer Here
Tickets: €5. Ballina Film Club is affiliated with accessCINEMA.