American-Korean ‘Minari’ Wins Best Foreign Language Film At Golden Globe

Korean-American drama film ‘Minari’ has won the award for Best Motion Picture in a Foreign Language at the 78th Golden Globes on Sunday.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, The Critically acclaimed movie ‘Minari’ became the second-ever Korean language movie to take home The Golden Globe award after last year ‘Parasite’ took home the same award.

The movie is based on the real-life experiences of director Lee Isaac Chun and his upbringing. The story follows a Korean-American immigrant family that moves to a farm in rural Arkansas, the United States in the 1980s and the struggles they face as they try to adjust to the new lifestyle, language and world.

The movie, Minari, stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-Jung, and Will Patton in lead roles. The movie will be released in South Korean theatres on March 3.

There was much of a controversy over the decision to place the movie ‘Minari’ in the foreign-language category instead of allowing it to compete for the Best Motion Picture. The movie is listed as a United States production, with an American director with most of the crew American as well. But according to the HPFA’s classification rules, the movie’s dialogue heavily contains Korean making it eligible t be nominated for best foreign-language film.

The Movie ‘Minari’ world premiered on January 26, 2020, at the Sundance Film Festival. It won the awards of US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the US Dramatic Audience Award. The movie also received 6 independence spirit awards nominations as well as 3 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and 10 critics choice award nominations.

The 78th Golden Globes awards took place nearly 2 months later than normal and were held virtually because of COCID-19. Director Lee Isaac Chung received his award at home and he thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the entire team, cast and crew of Minari. He also dedicated his award to his daughter for whom the film was made.