 |
|
 |

Subrosa
Canada/Korea, 2000, 22 minutes, Color, VHS/35mm
Order No. W01721
SUBROSA traces a young woman's journey to Korea, the land of her birth, to find the mother she's never known. This exquisitely crafted drama probes the idealized, often false constructions of cultural and maternal identities wrought by the adoptee's return. SUBROSA tracks the unnamed heroine from a sterile adoption agency office to seedy bars and motel rooms on neon strips, then to a stark U.S. army camp town and the bustling flower markets of Seoul. Though her path to self-destruction and ultimate self-revelation ironically and tragically mirrors that of her imagined biological mother, the past remains elusive to her, the secret intact. Originally shot on digital video, the film captures the grit and garishness of an alien urban landscape while plumbing the melancholy dream space where the character retreats even as she searches for her very life. Brimming with surreal, breathtaking, elegiac imagery, this sensuously rendered tale of loss, love and longing resonates long after its shocking conclusion.
AWARDS, FESTIVALS, & SCREENINGS

- Toronto International Film Festival
- Feminale Women's Film Festival, Cologne, Germany
- WYBE Through the Lens Series
back to top
QUOTES

"Moves beyond easy ideas about cultural identity to express an almost existential longing, capturing the senses of desire, uncertainty, desperation and salvation with a wondrous luminosity."
Laura U. Marks
Assistant Professor, Carleton University
"Depicts with great artistry the profound loneliness of the Korean adoptee's search for her irretrievable origins. A compelling and unforgettable film."
Elaine Kim
Asian American Studies, UC-Berkeley
back to top
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|

|
 |
 |
|
Sign up to get our monthly newsletter delivered by email.

You'll get the latest info on WMM films, filmmakers, new releases and worldwide events.
Read the current issue and subscribe!
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Native Visions: Through the Eyes of Indigenous Women
This powerful collection of native voices features two films from the
acclaimed Mohawk director Tracey Deer including CLUB NATIVE
and the coming-of-age documentary MOHAWK GIRLS. Also included is the
critical and heartbreaking tale of aboriginal femicide FINDING DAWN, as
well as the spirited and vibrant Southwestern artists’ film, THE DESERT IS
NO LADY, and the highly provocative identity piece NAVAJO TALKING PICTURE.
More details.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|