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Ode to My Father is an insightful, historical, comedic, and wholesome Korean film that tells a beautiful tale of Korean History form the 1950s through to perspective of an older gentleman who lives to tell his story. His experience recounts the struggles of his youth, suffering from the Korean war, loss of family members, and financial struggles. It tells a tale that many Korean families are able to relate to in which families are separated due to financial struggles, war veterans return home with trauma and injuries, and run small businesses in order to make ends meet and provide for their families. Director Yoon Je-kyoon ties in romance with the reality of the post-war time period allowing many Koreans of the postwar generation to relive the nostalgia and the struggles they faced. Similarly, it tells a story of this generation and their sacrifices for their children allowing both the old and young generations of family to understand and enjoy Korean culture and history in a tangible way.
I personally found this movie as a great way to have a conversation with my parents on what their experience was like in their early childhood and whether many of the perspectives depicted in the film were similar to what their experiences were like growing up in Korea. It drew up a variety of emotions from laughter to tears as each scene had such a powerful story to tell. I find that this film such a powerful perspective to represent my Korean identity and where I come from.
