You have to watch two film and read one document. then you have to write a critical reflection about what you think and find similarities between them and mention some direct quotes from the film and explain them.
Points for discussion in class:
What do you think is the core message/purpose of this film?
Discuss two or three scenes that you find most powerful or memorable in the film. Why do you feel this way?
What do you make of the characters in the film and what do you find relatable about them?
What is the aesthetic styles used in the film? discuss lighting, color, tonalities, sound design, camera work, editing and more.
What does this film teach you about the migrant’s life or challenges?
Some questions to help you think more deeply about the film:
– In an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, director Lee Isaac Chung, said, “Ultimately, a patch of minari, this Korean plant that the grandmother plants, that my grandmother planted, that ended up being the only thing that really thrived on that farm…It’s a hardy plant. It kind of grows in places where you can’t grow anything else. It can take root in very poor soil conditions. And what it ends up doing is it actually revitalizes the soil. And it cleans up the water. It has a purifying effect.” How can people be like the symbol of minari, in that they’re not only resilient but make something or some place better than before?
– Thinking back on the movie, is there one scene that’s particularly memorable? What scene, and why does it stick out in your mind? Can you identify a choice the filmmakers made about music, camera angles, etc. that made it especially memorable?
– People often fall into roles in families: The peacemaker, the comedian, the caretaker, etc. Do you think this is a positive or negative thing? Why?
– What are the challenges of maintaining a culture while being a part of another one? What are the pressures of “fitting in” while also being true to yourself/where you came from?
– We are introduced to Minari through young David’s eyes. What do we see in the film because of
this that we might not if it was told through the eyes of Jacob, or Monica?
– Monica and Jacob feel like polar opposites in many ways, and yet we can see how they ended
up together and what they hoped for their lives. In what ways did this resonate with you?
– This movie is deeply rooted in a place, and in a time when Korean immigration was increasing
by leaps and bounds. Yet it treats the question of belonging to a mostly-white community as an
immigrant with a light hand. What did you notice about the Yi family’s experience as
immigrants? Did it make you think of anything else?
– Will Patton’s character, Paul, represents a kind of character we might typically have seen as a
threat in a movie like this — he’s not only a white Korean war veteran, but his version of
Christianity won’t even allow him to blend in with others. What did you think of his character?
Where does he fit into the story?
– The climax of this film is tragic, and there’s no guarantee that things will simply work out for the
Yis. What hope does the film leave you with? And what definition of hope does it give us?
