AAIFF: Flushing Opening Night - Seoul Searching

Tuesday, July 28, 2015
8 – 9PM

AAIFF 2015 is excited to return to Flushing. Known as one of fastest growing Asian American communities in New York and for its diverse Asian food scene, AAIFF 2015 is bringing together the neighborhood for a free community screening of SEOUL SEARCHING at Flushing Town Hall.

About SEOUL SEARCHING: In the summer of 1986, the South Korean government decided to open a special summer camp for the offspring of Korean immigrants around the world, so that they could reconnect with their heritage and learn what it means to be Korean. Based on true events, SEOUL SEARCHING follows a group of students during this summer as they struggle to connect with one another, but end up ultimately finding themselves.

Sid is a punker from LA who has serious issues with authority, including Mr. Kim, the head teacher of his class who harbors a painful secret. Sid gets into a romance with Grace, a pastor’s kid from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who worships and embodies Madonna. Sergio is a Mexican womanizer who loves fiestas and senoritas, but meets his match in Sue-jin, a feminist-in-the-making. Klaus hails from Hamburg, Germany and helps Kris, an adoptee, find and reconnect with her birth mother. This group along with hip-hop inspired rappers from Queens, a military enthusiast, the pretentious Brit. Bitch, and many more capture the emotion and angst of youth in an era where teens were naïve, politically incorrect, polarized by cliques, and knew nothing about the world.

SEOUL SEARCHING is Benson Lee’s response to abject stereotypes of Asians in the media, especially in the 1980s. While it is a fun teen movie that epitomizes the ‘80s in its full, stylized glory through its use of fashion and movie, SEOUL SEARCHING is also celebration of the Korean diaspora and provides real Asian characters the depth and voice they deserve.

With its star-studded cast and award-winning director and crew, SEOUL SEARCHING made its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It has also been screened at CAAMFest 2015 and LAFF 2015. AAIFF15 will mark SEOUL SEARCHING’s New York City premiere.