
When
Fri 23 Aug 2024
See below for additional related events
This hearty, accomplished debut feature follows the highs and lows of a multi-generational family running a tofu factory in Daegu.
Three generations of a bickering South Korean family gather to commemorate their ancestors on a hot summer’s day in rural Daegu. As the women toil away making dishes for the feast, their request for air conditioning is denied by the matriarch, Mal-neyo. It’s a decision quickly reversed when Seong-jin – the Kim clan’s sole grandson, poised to inherit the factory but instead chasing an acting career in Seoul – arrives. The summer gives way and, as the seasons change, farewells, celebrations, deaths and feasts form the mosaic of the Kims’ year; all the while, the spectre of the Korean War casts an inescapable shadow.
Eschewing close-ups in favour of breathy takes that naturally illuminate the drama, Oh Jung-min’s first feature is exquisitely shot, particularly when tracking this assortment of relatives brought together by a table laden with scrumptious meals. Bittersweet and tragic yet leavened by an earnest humour, House of the Seasons has shades of Edward Yang’s lauded drama A One and a Two (MIFF 2002) and Ang Lee’s intimate Eat Drink Man Woman.
“In his exceptional, happy-sad-funny debut film, Oh Jung-min creates a beautiful tapestry of intimate sprawl, as three generations of a meddlesome, quarrelsome, loving Korean clan experience all the colors of familial life.” – Variety
Explore more events in the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024 program
There are no upcoming related events at this time.
ACMI – the home of festivals
Meet the festivals and film clubs on Melbourne’s cultural calendar that call ACMI home.

Not an ACMI Member yet?
Experience ACMI in the very best way. Get a range of discounts and invitations to exclusive previews.

ACMI Shop
Melbourne's favourite shop dedicated to all things moving image. Every purchase supports your museum of screen culture.