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"Minari", which tells the tale of an immigrant
Korean family trying to farm in the United States, brought home
six nominations and one Oscar - for supporting actress Youn
Yuh-jung - on Sunday.
The movie uses minari, a green with interconnected roots that
takes at least a year to grow, as a metaphor for the immigrant
experience. Youn's character cultivates the plant in a creek bed
when she arrives from South Korea to look after her
grandchildren.
Ham Byoung-gab, 58, who owns a 23,000 square meter (5.7 acres)
minari farm in Siheung, just outside Seoul, said the movie took
him back to his early days 30 years ago when he first stepped
into farming.
"Watching the movie 'Minari', I thought that's my story ... I
went through some harsh times in the early days," Ham told
Reuters. "I underwent a lot of hardships and at times wanted to
give up, but couldn't since I had kids, family."
He said was delighted that Youn became the first Korean actress
to win an Oscar, and was even happier the movie used minari as a
main theme.
"I am very proud, as a minari farmer, for an independent film
winning over those big blockbuster movies. Wonderful minari,
wonderful minari!"
Ham is out in the fields with his wife, Lim Mi-seon, nine months
a year and harvests six times during that time.
Lim, 55, said Youn's performance as a spunky grandmother in the
movie reminded her of her mother-in-law, who was also a farmer
and had the same love for her children.
"I felt touched when I felt that deep inside both my
mother-in-law and Youn Yuh-jung had this big heart that worried
about their children."
(Reporting by Minwoo Park, Daewoung Kim; Writing by Sangmi Cha
and Josh Smith; Editing by Giles Elgood)
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