Vulture reports that the Golden Globes has come under fire for categorising Minari as a ‘Foreign Language’ film.
Starring Steven Yeun, Minari is a semi-autobiographical film by director Lee Isaac Chung which tells the tale of a Korean American family moving to rural Arkansas. Yeun plays the father of the household, Jacob.
Vulture explains that Minari features “too much Korean dialogue to compete in Best Drama” and thus the Globes placed the film in Best Foreign Language Film.
Last year, the Globes did the same thing to The Farewell starring Awkwafina, slotting it into the Foreign Language category.
Awkwafina went on to become the first Asian American to win a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Film.
Fellow Asian actors have expressed their frustration with the Globes decision about Minari.
Actor Daniel Dae Kim tweeted that it is the “film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America.”
The Farewell director Lulu Wang tweeted, “I have not seen a more American film than #Minari this year. It’s a story about an immigrant family, IN America, pursuing the American dream. We really need to change these antiquated rules that characterize American as only English-speaking.”
Kim’s Convenience star Simu Liu also tweeted, “Just for the record, Minari is an American movie written and directed by an American filmmaker set in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company.”
Harry Shum Jr highlighted that “Checks “Inglorious Bastards” English to German, French & Italian ratio—-roughly 30:70 😐 #Minari is an American film.”
Checks “Inglorious Bastards” English to German, French & Italian ratio—-roughly 30:70 😐 #Minari is an American film. https://t.co/rO6bjpNHQO
— Harry Shum Jr (@HarryShumJr) December 23, 2020
Just for the record, Minari is an American movie written and directed by an American filmmaker set in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company 👀 https://t.co/6fbI7ppBPB
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 23, 2020
The film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America. https://t.co/kwEf8eO9v8
— Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) December 23, 2020
