Riceboy Sleeps at Luna

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 29 January 2024

Rice-Boy-Sleeps-Luna

Riceboy Sleeps
Photo Credit: Vincent Borg (Icon Films)

Many of us can relate to the immigrant experience - perhaps having been through it oneself or had a friend relate their history to us.

I know I can – having migrated with my family from Singapore at a young age to live in Perth.

So the film “Riceboy Sleeps” caught my attention – the title itself also making me curious about the story line and what might unfold.

It is 1990s Canada and we follow the lives of Dong-Hyun (Ethan Hwang) (Dohyun Noel Hwang as child Dong-Hyun) and his Mum So-Young (Choi Seung-yong) – a single Mum with a young child who migrates to Canada from South Korea to escape her past.

She works hard in a factory to put food on the table and to give her son a good education so that he has the best chance of rising above her own circumstances in life.

Riceboy Sleeps is a rich movie about the immigrant journey - immersing the viewer in understanding the cross cultural experiences and challenges of the young Dong Hyu - from his younger years through to his teenage years.

It is pitch perfect in unveiling the many layers and cultural complexity of growing up in a Western country (as Dong-Hyun the young boy does) as well as the experience of arriving in a country as an adult (as So-Young the Mother does).

It also succeeds in conveying the divide between a child’s newly adopted Western values and that of their parents old cultural norms – those values not always meshing together smoothly resulting in a sometimes tumultuous experience for both parties.

Vancouver based Writer and Director Anthony Shim empathetically and with frankness brings to the fore a sad and moving story with a lot of heart. Bring the tissues.

At just under 2 hours, the movie is well paced with the story detailing the major critical turn of events for the two main characters.

Movie goers who enjoy a heartfelt movie with an interesting story line about the immigration experience will enjoy this film.

Winner of an outstanding 31 awards including the Young Cineastes Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Winner of the Best Screenplay at the Asian Pacific Screen Awards, this film will tug at your heart strings, immersing you in the lives of both Mum and son.

Riceboy Sleeps opens with a bang with a special Korean themed Opening Night at Luna Outdoor Cinemas on 1st February with K-Pop music, drinks and snacks.

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