This Korean Canadian Director Just Made Her Most Personal Film

Summary

Korean Canadian director Lee Min-sook spent 25 years making documentaries about migrant farmers and city politics, but COVID finally pushed her to tell the story she'd been avoiding — her own. Her ninth film, "There Are No Words," is deeply personal and political, the kind of project you put off because it's too close. She calls it the central story of her life.

Why do we peek

There's something deeply Korean about waiting 25 years to tell your own story — prioritizing others, keeping the personal stuff private. Korean diaspora filmmakers especially tend to look outward first, documenting communities and causes. But this shift to the personal feels significant right now, when second-generation Koreans abroad are starting to ask harder questions about identity and what got passed down.

Main Story

Korean Canadian director Lee Min-sook spent 25 years documenting other people's struggles — migrant farmers, city politics, all the hard stories. But when COVID hit, she finally made the film she'd been avoiding: her own. "There Are No Words," her ninth documentary, is the most personal thing she's ever done, and she's calling it the central story of her life.

Backstory

Lee Min-sook's previous work includes films about Korean migrant workers in Canada and urban development issues, so this personal turn is a real departure. If you're interested in Korean diaspora stories or documentaries that sit between cultures, keep an eye out for "There Are No Words" at international film festivals. It's the kind of film that doesn't get wide distribution but makes the festival rounds.

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