2020 · 115 min · Drama
Minari is Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical gem about a Korean-American family who move to rural Arkansas in the 1980s to start a farm. Tender and deeply personal, the film explores the immigrant experience, family resilience, and the American Dream through the eyes of a young boy (Alan Kim). Youn Yuh-jung won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the irreverent grandmother.
Minari is available on Prime Video.
Minari is semi-autobiographical — director Lee Isaac Chung drew on memories of his own childhood growing up on his family's farm in Arkansas. The film is a personal story rather than a strict biographical account.
Minari is primarily in Korean with English. It was controversially deemed ineligible for the Golden Globe Best Drama category because more than 50% of its dialogue is in Korean.
Youn Yuh-jung won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the grandmother Soonja — the first Korean actress to win an Oscar. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Score.
Minari is the Korean word for water celery — a plant that, like the immigrant family in the film, takes root and thrives in new soil.