As part of National Canadian Film Day, the Patricia Theatre is offering a free presentation of Riceboy Sleeps on Wednesday, April 19, at 1:30 pm.
Korean-Canadian filmmaker Anthony Shim’s masterful Riceboy Sleeps takes what could’ve been a humble story about the immigrant experience and deftly expands it to emotionally and narratively epic levels, exploring the tender bond between a mother and her son in a poignant coming-of-age story.
It’s an affectionate, sharply-observed portrait of family life addressing wider issues of cultural identity, belonging and the challenges of the immigrant experience in 1990s Canada.
Questioning the definition of “home” and whether one could truly go back there – either literally or in the mind – Riceboy Sleeps has a perfectly constructed, full circle narrative. Shim’s robust characterizations, lived in pacing and strong visual sensibilities are less a movie and more of an experience based in aspects of life.
By the time the film reaches its ultimate destination, it is easy to see how Shim’s film won over the Toronto Film Critics Association, which awarded the movie its Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, the richest film prize in the country. This is a tender, ambitious, meticulous and deeply empathetic work.
Running time is one hour and 57 minutes. The Patricia Theatre is located at 5848 Ash Avenue in Powell River.
Gary Shilling is executive director of qathet Film Society.
