Our Homeland

Our Homeland
Directed by Yang Yong-hi
Produced by Koshikawa Michio
Sato Junko
Kawamura Mitsunobu
Written by Yang Yong-hi
Starring Sakura Ando
Arata Iura
Music by Taro Iwashiro
Cinematography Toda Yoshihisa
Edited by Kikui Takashige
Distributed by Star Sands
Slow Learner
Release dates
  • February 11, 2012 (Berlin)
  • August 4, 2012 (Japan)
Running time
99 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Our Homeland (かぞくのくに 一かぞくのくに, Kazoku no kuni) is a 2012 Japanese drama film about a Korean man's visit to his family in Japan after a long exile in North Korea. This is the feature debut of Yang Yong-hi, a second-generation ethnic Korean living in Japan who based the film on her family history.[1][2][3][4]

The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.[5][6]

Plot

From the late 1950s and into the 1970s, more than 90,000 of the Korean residents in Japan emigrated to North Korea, a country that promised them affluence, justice and an end to discrimination. Our Homeland tells the story of one of their number, who returns for just a short period. Yoon Seong-ho (Arata Iura) was sent to North Korea as a teen by his fervently North-supporting father. Returning to Tokyo for medical treatment after 25 years, he finds it difficult to open up to his family, including his passionately anti-North sister Rie (Sakura Ando). Seong-ho and Rie are two people handed radically different life perspectives by the course of history. While Seong-ho's path is sketched out for him, Rie recognizes that a whole world of opportunities is open to her. Including the chance to rebel against her own family.[7][8]

Cast

See also

References

  1. "'Our Homeland' director testifies about tragedy of ethnic Koreans in Japan". The Korea Times. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  2. Park, Eun-jee (12 October 2012). "‘Our Homeland’ a story of repatriation, reunion". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  3. Kim, Sam (6 October 2012). "Film shows family torn by NKorea-Japan program". Associated Press via Yahoo!. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  4. Schilling, Mark (28 December 2012). "Japan’s female directors make a strong showing". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  5. Schilling, Mark (4 September 2012). "Japan picks 'Our Homeland' as foreign language Oscar entry". Variety. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  6. Karasaki, Taro (14 September 2012). "Drama on ethnic Koreans’ plight selected for showing at Oscars". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  7. "Kazoku no kuni". Berlinale. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  8. Elley, Derek (12 February 2013). "Our Homeland". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2013-02-18.

External links