'The Mother and The Bear' Star Jonathan Kim On Diasporic Representation in Winnipeg's New Surrealist Rom-Com
the toronto native discusses playing a part in subverting tropes in a truly unique diaspora story.
Winnipeg’s identity as a cinematic city is a gift that keeps on giving. While the city has been the subject of many unfair jokes and stereotypes about the ‘sleepy’ Canadian prairies, the city’s cinematic identity has reflected the charm and eccentricity of the city, with surrealist comedies such as the works of Guy Maddin (My Winnipeg, Rumours) and more recently, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language, a comedy set in an alternate Winnipeg where Farsi is the official language. Winnipeg being host to a linguistically daring film has happened once again, with director Johnny Ma’s film, The Mother and The Bear. The film, mostly in the Korean language, follows Korean native Sara, and her visit to Winnipeg after her daughter goes into comatose after a freak accident. While in Winnipeg, Sara tries to find a boyfriend for her daughter when she comes out of the coma, and encounters the dashing Min, played by Toronto native Jonathan Kim. Min serves as a pivotal player in the film’s narrative, and Jonathan spoke to FilmSpeak about what it was like to be a part of such a unique project, and what it means as a diaspora story.
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Kim reflected on his initial reaction to the film’s audacious script, recalling “There aren’t a lot of stories that bring the older generation of a Korean woman, and you don’t really know what sort of genre it is, romantic comedy, drama, all these sorts of things. For me, I was just grateful to be a part of a project that the talented Johnny Ma directed, and wrote as well.”
Kim’s character of Min is one of the film’s two major romantic leads, and a very unique one at that. Despite being in a committed relationship, he is unknowingly put in a matchmaking scenario to a comatose patient, on behalf of the film’s protagonist Sara (Ho Jung Kim). Kim talked about how the romantic lead part represented something new in his budding career.
“To be able to play a character, who, in Johnny’s words, ‘was the Prince Charming of the film,’ and because as a Korean-Canadian actor, you don’t get a lot of these opportunities, especially in this industry, where you get to play a romantic lead, the person who is desired. Typically, it’s more relegated to like the scientist, or the best friend, so you know, to be able to play, a character like that, and to collaborate with such generous and exceptionally creative individuals, it was just like, of course. Just, of course.”
Kim revealed his hopes for what conversations and thematic takeaways audiences might have with The Mother and The Bear as a diaspora story that bridges both cultures, and a generational gap.
“When I first hopped on to this project, what really brought me on was this idea of identity, and I think with Min as well, him navigating identity, what it means to be a Korean-Canadian, the pressures of North American society, and navigating the idea of Korean-ness from his father’s side. Ultimately, I hope what people can take away from it, is that life is hard, accept that cards that you are dealt, in a way. Be open, I think that’s what it really comes down to. I think for me, hopping into the character of Min, that’s kind of been my experience as well, being born here, being Korean, navigating North American society, being raised in Scarborough… identity, that’s what it comes down to. Navigating identity, that’s something I hope people can take away from [the film], it’s not something cut-and-dry.