The New York Film Critics Online have recently published their Top 10 Films of 2020 list, with “Minari” winning awards such as Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film.
“Minari” was directed by Lee Isaac Chung and produced by A24. The film follows a Korean American family who moved to Arkansas in the 1980s to search for their American dream, according to Variety.
In addition to winning the Best Picture award, “Minari” won the Best Foreign Language award, which may cause outrage among the Asian American community.
In December 2020, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association stirred controversy after listing “Minari” under the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 78th Golden Globe Awards.
Many social media users voiced their concerns online, including “The Farewell” director Lulu Wang, Hollywood actor Daniel Dae Kim and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu.
I have not seen a more American film than #Minari this year. It’s a story about an immigrant family, IN America, pursuing the American dream. We really need to change these antiquated rules that characterizes American as only English-speaking. https://t.co/1NZbkJFE9v
— Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) December 23, 2020
The film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America. https://t.co/kwEf8eO9v8
— Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) December 23, 2020
Just for the record, Minari is an American movie written and directed by an American filmmaker set in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company 👀 https://t.co/6fbI7ppBPB
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 23, 2020
Other notable winners listed by the New York Film Critics Online include Riz Ahmed for Best Actor (“Sound of Metal”) and Chloé Zhao for Best Director (“Nomadland”).