At its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, the film was awarded two main prizes - by the jury and the audience. Six Oscar nominations followed in 2021. Landgasthof Böß will be serving "Korean-American Encounter" at 6.30 pm in the theater's banquet hall as a suitable food offering, for which registration is required.
Arkansas in the 1980s: 7-year-old Korean-American David moves with his parents and sister Anne from the West Coast to the rural south of the USA. Father Jacob and mother Monica once emigrated from their Korean homeland to the United States for better prospects. Jacob is convinced that he can build a new life for his family by running a farm. He wants to cultivate the unused land, grow Korean vegetables and sell them to immigrant families. Monica is not enthusiastic about the new start in the middle of nowhere, where the family has to live in a mobile home from now on. The Yi family, who speak Korean among themselves, are warmly welcomed by the community. Nevertheless, the children attract attention because of their foreign appearance.
When grandmother Soon-ja arrives from her native Korea, David has to share a room with her, much to his chagrin. However, his curiosity is soon aroused. The unconventional Soon-ja doesn't fit the typical ideal image of a loving grandmother - she swears during card games, keeps him awake at night with her snoring and wears strange underwear. While Soon-ja takes her grandchildren under her wing, Monica and Jacob's marriage is in crisis. Monica would rather move away with the children today than tomorrow. Jacob, on the other hand, believes in the American dream and wants to prove himself to his family for once in his life. However, holding on to the farm, where the eponymous Korean parsley ("Minari") is grown, brings them to the brink of their financial existence and the family threatens to break up.
Director and screenwriter Lee Isaac Chung is himself the son of Korean immigrants and grew up on a small farm in the Ozarks in Arkansas. Chung's grandmother planted minari on the family farm in Arkansas, where it grew well while the harvest of other plants faltered. For him, this picture symbolizes the love he received from his grandmother.
- Admission to the movie costs 4 euros. Admission is from 7 pm, there is free seating. The movie including dinner costs 18 euros. Places for the meal are limited, and Landgasthof Böß will accept bookings up to eight days before the event date at the latest, subject to availability, by emailing info@landgasthaus-boess.de. Meal reservations cannot be returned or exchanged. Tickets and food can only be paid for on site at the box office.