“Riceboy Sleeps” is a compassionate and poetic film about a South Korean single mother determined to provide a better life for her young son in the suburbs of Canada.
After losing her husband, So-young relocates to Canada in the 1990s with their young son, Dong-hyun. As
Dong-hyun is brutally bullied by his classmates, his mother battles loneliness, racism, and sexism at work causing a rift to grow between mother and son.
Director Anthony Shim uses his own experiences growing up in British Columbia in the 1990s as inspiration for the film. His portrayal of the very different perspectives of a boy and his mother, perfectly captures Dong-hyun’s loneliness and frustration, and So-young’s isolation and sacrifices, as he elegantly interweaves social realism with fable-like sequences.
Some subtitles.
Watch the trailer https://youtu.be/Ve0v0SoNSM4.
Director: Anthony Shim / Cast: Choi Seung-yoon, Ethan Hwang, Dohyun Noel Hwang / Country: Canada / Length: 1hr 57 mins / Language: English, Korean / Genre: Drama // Rating: PG
Winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association
“Nothing less than a heartbreaking, funny and often astoundingly beautiful piece of work, Riceboy Sleeps is a new Canadian classic.” - Dorothy Woodend, The Tyee
“The tender bond between a mother and her son underpins a poignant coming-of-age story in Riceboy Sleeps.” - Allan Hunter, Screen International
“This tender and tragic film gracefully expresses not only the sense of being an outsider, but tells the story in a way that all audiences can understand, making it easier for viewers to relate to the immigrant experience...” - Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
Monday Cinema is presented by Trail and District Arts Council and screens at The Royal Theatre, 1597 Bay Avenue, Trail.
All films begin at 4:00 pm.
Tickets $12 at thebailey.ca or call the Box Office Monday to Friday from 12-4 pm. Only 143 tickets available for this screening. If tickets are available, they will go on sale at the venue 30 minutes before the screening. Cash only at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.
Monday Cinema is supported by the TIFF Film Circuit and sponsored by Wellington-Altus Private Wealth and MP Wealth Advisory.