Underplayed Gems

Mai Ratima (2012)

Mai Ratima poster
Original title
마이 라띠마
Directed by
Yu Ji-tae
Genre
drama film, romance film
Country
South Korea
Runtime
2h 06m
Rated
18
Rating
7.4 of 10 from 7 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A Korean man in his 30s lives at the bottom of society. He meets a young Thai woman who comes to Korea for an arranged marriage. Their connection grows despite the obstacles they face.

melancholictenderslow-burnintimatesoberingemotionally rawunderstatedpoignant

What happens

Mai Ratima (Korean: 마이 라띠마; RR: Mai rattima) is a 2013 South Korean film that portrays the unlikely love affair of a Korean man in his 30s living on the bottom rung of society and a mail-order bride from Thailand in her 20s. It is actor-director Yoo Ji-tae's first feature film. Yoo emphasizes the discrimination against the ever-increasing number of Southeast Asian women who come to Korea for prearranged marriages, saying he wanted to "portray seemingly insurmountable obstacles facing people who desire to make a difference and beat the odds," and delve into "the pain, desire and deficiency that love bears." The film won the Jury Prize ("Lotus du Jury") at the 2013 Deauville Asian Film Festival. It was praised by Deauville's jury president, Jérôme Clément for its sensitive handling and Yoo's keen insight as director. Clément said, "It's astonishing that this is his first feature film. This award is presented with the hopes that this film will have a chance to be seen widely by film fans worldwide." Mai Ratima was released in theaters on June 6, 2013. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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