Dong-chun, an elementary school student overwhelmed with seven afterschool learning academies, stumbles upon a mysterious bottle of rice wine during a school retreat. As the rice wine ferments and emits strange sounds like Morse code, Dong-chun sets out to unravel its identity and discovers the secrets of the world and the reasons behind her current way of life.
mak-geol-li-ga al-lyeo-jul-keo-ya, 東春與神奇啵啵, 马格利会告诉你
South Korea
Busan International Film Festival
Norway
Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival
USA
New York Asian Film Festival
Canada
Fantasia International Film Festival
AustraliaG
Korean Film Festival in Australia
Poland
Warsaw Korean Film Festival
France
Korean Film Festival in Paris
UKU
London Korean Film Festival
South KoreaALL
South KoreaALL
Australia
Canada
France
Norway
Poland
South Korea
UK
USA
Score : 7/10 ✅
Seen at Fantasia International Film Festival 2024
You know, it's funny that parents are concerned when their children create an imaginary world and become too deeply invested in it. What we should be concerned about is when those same parents expect an unreal vision of what their child should have accomplished academically before the age of 'X.'
FAQ is basically showing the results of restrictive parenting. And while it feels reductive, it doesn't equal bad parenting. I'll be fair; Dong-chun's parents aren't that bad. They are just trapped in a culture that highly values success and distinguished accomplishments.
Not only are we faced with a sweet and resourceful young girl, but she's also giving us the impression that we are worth being invited into her world.
You wouldn't guess where the movie is going, especially the ending. It takes unexpected turns, making the whole film even more special.
We’re covering Fantasia Festival 2024 on The STACKS. So, keep your ears on the podcast and your eyes on the website.
What is the purpose of our school system? Fundamentally, it’s to educate children but even this isn’t a clear answer. Educate them on what? How? And for what wider purpose? FAQ is a quirky gem from Korea that tackles the didactic, restricting educational system that exists to funnel students towards the next destination.
Dong-chun, our lead, is an elementary school student. Already, the focus of her educational platform is college prep. This, in turn, is job prep. She’s already on a conveyer belt and it’s extremely narrow. Time outside of school is pushed into extra-curricular learning. Everything is pressure,…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Oh great, that’s just what we all need: quirky mystical propaganda for homebrewing. So now the key to the secrets of the universe is in the hands of every obnoxious Bushwick roommate. As if those dudes didn’t already act like their homemade IPA is the sizzurp that turns your dyslexia into the existential code from Pi.
Imagination is everything
a fascinating and unique exploration of a young protagonist's life and the mysterious forces shaping her world. The concept of using a bottle of fermenting rice wine as a central, almost mystical element to drive the story is both creative and symbolic possibly hinting at themes of tradition, societal pressure, and self-discovery. While the film's slower moments might test some viewers patience, the payoff is deeply rewarding for those who appreciate layered storytelling.
representation for girls who are weird AND boring. we can have it all ♥️♥️♥️
i should drink some rice wine something magical might happen
De l’importance de laisser les enfants être des enfants, et de la pression sur les parents, et surtout les mères, pour en faire des machines de guerre capitalistes.
Jolie surprise.
La pression parentale excessive sur des enfants obligés à devenir des machines de performance, et l'étrange bulle échappatoire d'une petite fille très introvertie qui trouve refuge et réconfort... dans une bouteille d'alcool de riz en fermentation qui communique avec elle en code morse et farsi. Une critique fine et tout en bienveillance de la société et de la famille sud-coréennes, qui travaille avec douceur et lenteur une étrangeté décalée qu'il est rare de voir à l'écran. Le côté fantastique et l'aspect stoïque de son attachante petite protagoniste laissent constamment planer le doute et la perplexité, jusqu'à une finale totalement surprenante, ouvrant sur une perspective stupéfiante. Belle surprise.
Surprisingly low-key and sweet little coming-of-age movie about a shy Korean wallflower and the bubbling jug of rice wine who gives her instructions from space. It's whimsical and droll in all the right places, but it really ferments into a refutation of South Korea's hardworking, excellence-driven culture -- one where kids are slammed into foreign-language classes and clear paths to success so stifling that it'll give them a complex. Has a wild ending on par with Her or Knowing, but way, way cuter than that.
It's really hard to write a review for this without giving things away and I really think people should go into this without knowing more than what the trailer shows. (Though if you really want to know, the director has given some interviews)
The ending for this was so masterful and unexpected - leaving you to think back and re-frame some earlier parts of the movie. You can leave the theater with polar opposite impressions about what occured.
I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this film for awhile.
Fantasia 2024 #11
Une petite fille décode les messages en farsi que lui transmet un esprit contenu dans une bouteille d'alcool. Au-delà de l'étrangeté du postulat de départ, c'est rigolo quoique assez confus sur ce que ça dit de l'éducation des enfants et de l'encouragement de leur curiosité.
ha ha ha… cry cry cry…
