Episode 238: Anthony Shim

Anthony Shim (Daughter) directed, wrote, edited, produced, and acted in Riceboy Sleeps, the staggering coming of age film that screens at the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. The dramatic feature tells the story of a South Korean immigrant and single mom, So-young, who is raising her son Dong-hyun in the Vancouver suburbs in the 1990s. So-young desperately wants to instill a sense of pride in the boy. In turn, he only wants to be considered “Canadian” in hopes of avoiding bullying at school. As Dong-hyun grows older, his frustrations over knowing nothing about his father are only exasperated when So-young introduces a surrogate patriarch into his life. A cruel twist of fate sends the pair back to South Korea, where all will be revealed about the family’s history. The film was shot in Canada and South Korea and had its world premiere at the venerable 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Platform Prize. Riceboy Sleeps explores the high cost that many immigrants pay – emotionally, spiritually, physically, and culturally – while striving to build their lives in Canada’s so-called multicultural utopia. In this contemplative conversation, Anthony Shim reflects on the real-life events that led to Riceboy Sleeps, and how his identity as a Korean Canadian informs his work. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA