Little Forest: Film Screening + Conversation

Hear from Director Yim Soon-Rye in person. This event is presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Join us for a special screening of the delightful foodie film Little Forest followed by a conversation with the filmmaker Yim Soon-Rye. In Little Forest a young professional leaves Seoul life behind for the markedly different pace of a rural village and learns to slow down in this sweetly flavored adaptation of a famed Japanese manga. Alone but never lonely, our heroine visits with two friends and recalls her single mother, but mostly she devotes her days to harvesting, planting, and cooking. With more seasons than main characters, and more attention paid to cooking than conflict, Little Forest became an unexpected hit, with its message to slow down resonating with many young audiences. About the Filmmaker Considered one of South Korea’s leading female auteurs, Yim Soon-rye has been actively making films since her debut, the 1994 short Promenade in the Rain. Her second feature, Waikiki Brothers (2001), a now-cult film about the lives and dashed dreams of a nightclub cover band in the Korean hinterlands, announced her as a talent to watch. This opened up new opportunities in a jaw-droppingly wide range of commercial filmmaking, ranging from the sports epic Forever the Moment (2008), about the Korean women’s Olympic handball team, the political thriller The Whistleblower (2014), and the big-budget action film The Point Men (2023). According to several sources, she has now made more films than any other woman in Korean cinema history. About the Partner Organization The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles serves as a dynamic platform to introduce the richness and diversity of Korean culture to the broader American public and to foster mutual understanding through cultural exchange. Through a wide range of programs — from traditional heritage to contemporary art, film, music, literature, and everyday cultural expressions — it aims to share both the present and the future of Korean culture. As an open and inclusive cultural space, the Center engages not only the Korean American community but also local audiences and future generations and believes that culture has the power to transcend language and borders, connecting people through shared experiences, programs, film screenings, and digital content that are designed to make Korean culture accessible and engaging for all.