Mai Ratima (Ma-i Rattima)

Korea 2012, 123 min, English subtitles

To support her family in Thailand, Mai Ratima enters into an arranged marriage with Sang-pil, a South Korean. As the reality behind her “Korean dream” sets in, she finds herself defenseless against the exploitation of her new in-laws. She seizes the chance to flee to Seoul with the social misfit Soo-young, but the budding love between them is soon put to a severe test. In documentary-realist style, Yoo Ji-tae tells the story of two people who, instead of being brought down by the world’s heartlessness, grow in the face of it.

Yoo Ji-tae (*1976) studied theater and film. He rose to stardom as an actor with his role in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. He founded the production company Yoo Movie and began directing films himself. Following four successful short films, Mai Ratima is his debut feature film.