This bilingual movie (German and Korean) tackles the issue of Korean adoption children. Michael (Ill-Young Kim) is raised by his German adoption parents in a small German village. His physical appearance is Korean, for the rest he is 100% German and seems to live a happy life, he plays in a local band. His life starts falling apart when his best friend (one of the band members) moves to big city Berlin and his German parents end up in divorce. On the spur of the moment he 'borrows' his father VW and drives to Berlin to join his friend. In Berlin he starts noticing Korean restaurants and he starts to become curious about his heritage. He walks into a Korean restaurant and falls in love with the daughter of the owner. Conflicts soon arise when he tries to become her boyfriend. Michael does not understand Korean culture and - even though he is 'Korean' - he is not accepted by her family. This movie is a black comedy, but it's a lot more fun if you know a little about Korean culture!! Adoption children are a sensitive issue in Korea. Family is the most important social tie, and the fact that so many Korean children are given up for overseas adoption is a major embarrassment for Koreans. Yet, it's still a reality, which is mind boggling, for Korea is a very rich country. Ironically, it is the importance of family which has caused the large number of adoptions. If you get pregnant, but your boyfriend does not want to get married, adoption is the only option. Being a single mother is near to impossible in Korea. If you are interested in the issue of intercultural adoption or Korea in general, this movie (originally made for television) is well worth watching. Ill-Young Kim plays a strong lead roll and you can't help feeling sympathy for him. The end has been criticized, because it seems so unlikely. Did anybody try kissing on the street in Korea? I don't think so... I would have preferred an unhappy end...but hey, I'm Dutch... The title is only half correct, because he seems to be fully accepted by Germans, but not by Koreans. Painful indeed.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
