Riceboy Sleeps

Seeking a better life, six-year-old Dong Hyun's unwed mother relocates to Canada with him after his father dies.

Riceboy Sleeps is a migrant story based on the life of the film's writer/director. The experiences related to having a different cultural background to most are familiar enough - being teased at school, wanting lunches that look like what classmates eat, and discovering you're an easy target for bullies. There's plenty of mishap and misfortune while growing up, and we're not left wallowing in pathos thanks to the decision to focus on the mother's stoicism. If anything, it's only the soundtrack that's a little overwrought. Bibimbap.

Limited Release 1st February 2024
Icon Films 117 mins