The Wandering Chef (Hye-Ryeong Park, 2019): Korea

Reviewed by Cate Herrell. Viewed at the SBIFF 2020.

The Wandering Chef (directed by Hye-Ryeong Park) has earned the place of being one of my favorite documentaries after watching it because it is just so dang beautiful! We are introduced to chef Jiho Im, who has been named “The Wandering Chef” as he travels through rural areas around the Korean peninsula in search of nature’s finest ingredients. Before watching this documentary, I was expecting a classic showcase of Korean culture, food, and cooking. What I was not expecting to find, was how universal and captivating Jiho’s art form is, and it truly is art! It was more than just cooking! 

We learn of his past, and he tells us the reason for his wandering is because he lost his birth mother, and the mother who raised him at an age too young to understand the impact and love he was given from them. So he wandered out of “longing,” and it just so happened to translate into cooking. Jiho’s success as a chef, and restaurant owner, was completely not the focus of this story, and I really appreciate that although he has such success in his field, he continues forever on his search. We watch a relationship between Jiho and an elderly couple form, and as he bonds with them, especially the wife, we see that his food has the power to bring people together. They grow so close in fact, that he refers to  her as his “third mother,” and their connection through his cooking is delightful to witness. 

Director Park does such an incredible job creating a documentary that has no concept of time. Years of film, and we do not see the time pass, we can only see the beauty in each interaction between Jiho and the world around him. We feel the bond Jiho has with his “third mother,” and the whole audience plays Park’s part with him, the silent observer. The diegetic sounds surround you and bring you along the coast, through the forest, and into the kitchen with Jiho. Some of the best moments are the ones where all we can hear is boiling of water, or the careful footsteps through the woods, or the satisfied grunts of those lucky enough to eat his food. Experiencing Jiho’s intentional movements and seeing the end result, being his stunning meals, definitely comes with a sense of comfort, and we can understand why he works so hard. 

The breathtaking conclusion of the documentary made everyone around me begin to tear up, something very unexpected from a “cooking” documentary! I believe “The Wandering Chef” is more than that, it is a documentary about creativity, respect, connection, and beauty. I recommend taking the time to watch, but be warned, you may be left wanting to eat some good food, and call your mom.