By Berkeley Food Institute
If you haven’t seen Minari yet, queue this one for your next movie night. The heartfelt film from the studios of A24 tells the tender story of a Korean-American family that starts a farm growing Korean vegetables and endures the struggles of building a home in 1980s Arkansas.
Last year, following a virtual screening of the film on January 31, 2021, the Asian American Farmers Alliance (AAFA), in partnership with A24, organized a panel to discuss the film. The panel was moderated by the Berkeley Food Institute’s Executive Director Nina Ichikawa, a long-time researcher and writer on Asian American farmers and retailers. The panelists included four farmers: Nikiko Masumoto and Mas Masumoto of Masumoto Family Farm, Ge Moua of Ge Moua Farms, and David Paeng of Serenity Farm.
For more information about Minari and how to watch it, check the website for A24.
The Asian American Farmers Alliance is a group of Asian American farmers and advocates in solidarity with each other and other land-based peoples. From seeds to policy, AAFA collaborates for diversity and food sovereignty.
For more reading on Minari and what it tells us about farming in America, read this reflection from AAFA’s founder Mai Nguyen in CNN, “What ‘Minari’ is doing for Asian American farmers like me.”
Also check out this article from Civil Eats, “‘Minari’ Shines a Spotlight on Asian American Farmers.”
Please visit the following websites for more information about the panelists: