May 14
oikos – home, house
Gook, 2017, dir. Justin Chon
Eli and Daniel, shoe store owners, backdrop: 1992 LA riots
Kamilla, visits the store
Keith blames Eli and Daniel for the death of his mom
Daniel and Eli both get beaten
Eli and Mr. Kim, argument about language
“gook means country,” Miguk = America
Mr. Kim was in the military with Daniel and Eli’s father
Keith is made to feel inferior to Daniel and Eli by Kamilla
use of black and white creates both contrast and ambiguity
Kamilla dancing outside the burning shoe store at the opening of the film
Kamilla’s mother and Eli’s father were killed in a robbery, Mr. Kim blames himself
“came to America to give you a better life”
“all over some money,” “should have given it to them”
Eli and Daniel do give up the “money,” but it isn’t what Keith was really after
“people do crazy shit when they’re mad”
May 15
Twinsters, 2015, dir. Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto
Samantha Futerman and Anais Bordier, twins separated at birth find each other via internet
mother denies having children
Sam and Anais’ different experiences: siblings/no siblings, discrimination/acceptance
feeling given up/abandoned/not having had a choice
multiple identities
fluidity
“teenage brain”
“impulsivity”