Minari

Named after the resilient Korean herb minari, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical feature relates the American immigrant experience of a Korean family in 1980's rural Arkansas.

Augmented by Emile Mosseri's seamless eastern-western musical score and the well balanced drama and humor, are the solid performances of parents Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Yeri Han), pre-teen Anne (Noel Cho), and seven-year-old David (Alan S. Kim). However it is grandmother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-Jung) who steals the show. Some of the feature's best scenes involve Soon-ja and David's interactions.

Gently and methodically, the realistic screenplay quietly engages and moves, while addressing the universal theme of overcoming hardships and the value of family unity.

Sundance audience winner award.