Riceboy Sleeps

Winner of the Platform Prize at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, this searing yet tender drama follows So-young, a Korean widow and factory worker, and her young son Dong-hyun over several years as they assimilate into suburban Canadian culture, even if the past won’t let go of them. —M.G.

With a son born out of wedlock and the sudden death of the child’s father, So-young leaves her small village in Korea to start a new life in the Canadian suburbs. But raising her son, Dong-Hyun, as a single mother in a foreign country comes with its fair share of challenges. Seen as an outsider by his peers, Dong-Hyun is bullied relentlessly and finds himself under immense pressure to conform to the ways of the West, leaving his Korean heritage behind. Through trials and tribulations, as he gets older Dong-Hyun will find a way back to his roots under the gentle guidance of his fiercely loving mother. Heartfelt and affecting, RICEBOY SLEEPS is a beautiful coming-of-age story that highlights the power of family and belonging. —G.S.