Familial Ties
The family, as the foundation of society, offers a lens through which to explore both the dynamics of a community and the intimate bonds between its members.
It can also be a source of intense drama, as seen in A Normal Family, a sharp black comedy that exposes the extremes an affluent family will go to in order to protect a secret that threatens to destroy their reputation and their children’s future.
In Promise, the power of poetry becomes a vehicle for navigating grief. A father encourages his son to write about loss and memories, using the creative process to bond during a time of profound sorrow. Through their shared poems, they uncover beauty amidst the pain, finding a way to cope together.
Smoking Tigers, the debut feature by filmmaker So Young Shelly YO, offers a fresh take on the coming-of-age genre from the perspective of a teenager, adding a rich new voice to the Asian diaspora canon. The film poignantly captures the internal struggles of alienation and personal growth, delivering an authentic and compelling exploration of identity.
Smoking Tigers
USA | 2023 | 91min | Drama
No Children Under 16 (Some Nudity 些许裸露画面)
Languages: English and Korean
Subtitles: English
Director: So Young Shelly YO
Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, SMOKING TIGERS is a portrait of a lonely Korean-American teen named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic bootcamp.
As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her insecurities about her problematic family and lower-income background, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.
보통의 가족
A Normal Family
South Korea | 2023 | 117min | Drama, Black-Comedy
NC16 (Some Coarse Language 些许粗俗语言)
Languages: Korean
Subtitles: English
Director: HUR Jin-ho
Jae-wan (SUL Kyung-gu), a materialistic criminal defense lawyer who has no problem defending murderers and his younger brother Jae-gyu (JANG Dong-gun), a morally adept and warm pediatrician meet once a month with their wives for dinner.
One day, a security camera footage of a teenage boy and a girl beating a homeless man to death goes viral. The police begin their investigation but since perpetrators’ faces weren’t shown, the case goes nowhere.
But having seen the footage, Jae-gyu’s wife Yeon-kyung (KIM Hee-ae) and Jae-wan’s wife Ji-su (Claudia KIM) uncover a piece of shocking secret. Both couples come to the dinner with secrets that are impossible to accept. The dinner starts with tense atmosphere…
약속
Promise
South Korea | 2023 | 84min | Documentary | PG
Languages: Korean
Subtitles: English
Director: MIN Byung-hun
Si-woo is a nine years old boy living with his dad after losing his mom. Whenever Si-woo and his dad miss her, they pray, talk it out, or write poems.
They stay there for each other in the arms of beautiful nature. Si-woo always remembers what his mom promised him before passing. Step by step, they move forward, trying to keep the promise.
