Korean Non-blockbusters We Cant Miss explores well-made Korean films but which were not successful at the box-office. This weeks films include Wayne Blair's 2012 Australian film, The Sapphires and 10 Minutes directed by Lee Yong-seung in 2014.
The Australian musical film, The Sapphires features a girl-group called the Sapphires consisting of four young, talented Aboriginal girls, who overcome racial discrimination and grow into a top girl group entertaining the troops during the Vietnam war. This film was screened at the non-competition section of Cannes Film Festival and has received praise as the Australian version of Dreamgirls. The Sapphires, shining light on Aboriginal Australia, also touches on Australias stolen generation - victims of a government policy of assimilation that was in place until the late 1960s. Thousands of Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to live at state institutions or with white families.
The 2013 film 10 Minutes features Korean realistic workplace through Ho-chan, a rookie in the real world, who struggles at the workplace. Ho-chan prepares for his dream job as a TV producer but due to his family's financial difficulties, ends up working as a paid intern at a government office. When a full-time vacancy comes up, he applies for it as his colleagues support for him to get the position. However, the position goes to a young woman who pulls strings for this position, but after she fails her first big presentation at work, she resigns from the job. The boss now offers Ho-chan a full-time permanent position, giving him only 10 minutes to think and decide. In the film, Ho-chan keeps hesitating between his long-time dream and a stable job, as most people are confused between their dreams and reality. The film does not show what Ho-chan decides for his future, but makes audiences to put them in Ho-chan's position and think over the choice together.
