Movie Digest
Director Koo Yun-Joo was once a science prodigy, she used to be the honor and pride of her parents. But now she is an English major and struggling to find a job. As she grew up, she understood the harsh reality of society.
But her little sister one day tells her that she wants to be a genius like her. She is in elementary school, first grade, and follows a tight schedule. Her mother is always after her, making her follow a strict schedule to make her a gifted child.
The Feel-Good Part
It is an everyday documentary. There is no such feel-good part in the movie. It shows the harsh reality of society and the misconception that studying hard guarantees a bright future.
The Disappointing Factor
The movie is somewhere between documentary and drama and neither documentary nor drama. It is just stuck somewhere in middle.
In-Depth Analysis
The movie throws light on the toxic south Korean education system and how it is glorified. Koo Yun-Joo has already experienced that, and while it feels really good to be the center of attention, be good at everything, listening to others praise you for being your parent’s pride, it all comes with a cost. As there is a lot of pressure, your mental health deteriorates and that also doesn’t guarantee a successful life.
Koo Yun-Joo tries to explain to her mother that she is doing the same things she did to her, with her sister and that is not the right way for a child to live. That is a lot of pressure and a small child needs to live freely. At the end of the documentary, her mother realizes that what she was doing was unintentionally wrong, and tries to reduce the burden on her daughter.
Star Power
As this is a documentary movie, everything is just natural. Nothing over the top and no attention-seeking children.
Overall Opinion
The documentary is fine. It gives us a picture of the pressure children goes through to stand up to everybody’s expectations.
