| Umma | ||
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| KIMA Notes: | ||
 Joung
Ho-hyun's documentary UMMA (MOTHER) is an intensely intimate affair.
Her mother's devotion to her church and her expectations that others
be equally devoted run in conflict with her in-law's equal devotion
and expectations to their family¡¯s ancestral rites. The film begins
with director Joung noting how upset she was when she received a phone
call from her mother informing her that she had given family land
to the church and requests that she do the same with the land her
father left her. Director Joung would "rather be a sinner"
and this film documents the tension between director Joung and her
mother's chosen path. Although specific to the particulars of director
Joung's family, the film touches on a disconnect many of us have with
some members of our family. Ironically, this disconnect is often so
painful because we are so connected at the same time. As director
Joung summarizes in a simple poetic line - "I don't know how
to become closer to my mother. I don't know how to distance myself
from my mother." The borders around our families are very often
the most difficult for us to get beyond. (Written by Adam Hartzell) |
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| Synopsis: | ||
 Umma
is an affectionate portrayal of an 'eccentric' mother whose eccentricity
was caused by the inescapable pressures of the familial power structure.
After Father dies, his wife and his sister begin to fight incessantly
about the memorial service. Director Joung closely observes her aunt(go-mo),
who seems to have overcome the constraints imposed on "the first
daughter-in-law" by the traditional Korean large family. Issues
explored include her mother and her disconnected failed role as "the
first daughter-in-law," her self denial, and her pursuit of her
just reward in the Christian after life. |
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| Director's Filmography | ||
| | Joung Family Girls (2003) | Homesickness (2002) | Stone cold noodle soup ¡°Memory of my father¡± (2002) | Win Win Game? ¡°Teenager¡¯s sex trade¡± (2001) | Women in Festive Season (2000) | Extremely Ordinary (1999) | | ||
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