A “gyopo” is someone of Korean descent who has been raised abroad. Samuel Kiehoon Lee first feature tells the intimate stories of gyopos who have made a journey to Korea, only to find themselves outsiders in the country that gave birth to their parents. Inspired by films like Playtime and Dazed and Confused, Lee weaves together vignettes from a diverse band of well-educated 20 and 30-somethings as they get drunk, laugh, fall in love, and get into fistfights over a 24-hour period in Seoul.
Lee has made an energetic and inventive portrait of a generation of gyopos like himself who find themselves immersed in but apart from Korean culture. Creatively shot utilizing improvisation and told with nuance, heart, humour, and snark, Gyopo gives us a portrait of the gyopo experience that will resonate with anyone who struggles to feel at home.
– AC