The Wandering Chef (Hye-Ryoung Park, 2020)

Written by Abby Isadora Haydon at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2020.

After watching this movie I left the theater with a profound feeling of peace. I must say that this is my favorite movie of the festival. I am amazed at the feeling of tranquility that came over me from seeing a fiftysomething Korean man walking the countryside looking for herbs.

As the film starts he is trudging  through the snow, looking for an elusive herb. His eyelashes are covered with snow. When he found what he was seeking , it was easy to see that his trek was worthwhile. We follow the chef as he meanders over the Korean countryside, harvesting fresh herbs and visiting the elderly. He seems to adore elderly woman especially. He makes a meal with the herbs  he has harvested in their area. Then the little grannies and their husbands  sit down with him to eat and chat.

While he walks he tells us his story, bit by bit. It seems that he loves these little old women because he loves their mother energy. We discover that he did not spend much time with his birth mother growing up. We come to realize that even though he appears to be helping the wrinkled little men and women, he is also healing himself by spending time with them.  As he picks an amazing variety of herbs he speaks of  their medicinal properties as well . Some herbs are good for taking the red out of the eyes, others for cleansing the blood, and still others for helping the bones. It expands one’s heart to see that his mission is to help make the elderly  more comfortable as well as nourish them.

There are only two scenes in that movie that illustrate that he has a life in the city as well. We see him in a fine dining kitchen and then in a palatial ballroom where he is being honored and gives a speech. It is interesting to know that he has entered the world of gourmet cuisine and like cream, has risen to the top. Yet the amount of time we see him out in nature makes it clear where his joy resides.

The cinematography is magnificent. The landscape is honored with the crisp, well framed shots of the Korean countryside in the splendor of the four seasons. Aside from the macrocosm, there are excellent shots of a pipe dripping water, dew drops on a tree and a green bug walking along the beach that use the light , shadow and focus impeccably.

As we follow him in his journeys through nature, the feeling of appreciation and respect for the earth and his elders comes through the screen and touches your soul. It is not hard for the viewer to sense that he is living his bliss. His wanderings are his spiritual practice and his way of giving back to his people. It is my hope that this picture has a global distribution so that many can be touched by the healing this film can bring to the world.

 

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Published:
01.23.20 / 9pm
Category:
Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2020