Students in Harlem watch special online screening of 'Minari'

Students and staff of Democracy Prep Harlem High School in New York City watch the film 'Minari' (2020) during a special online screening event on Friday. [KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER NEW YORK]

Students and staff of Democracy Prep Harlem High School in New York City and the Korean Cultural Center New York held a special online screening of the award-winning movie “Minari” (2020) on Friday, according to the center on Tuesday.

The event, attended by 250 students and teaching staff, was part of its annual celebration of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is celebrated in May. “Minari” tells the story of a Korean-American family trying to settle in 1980s rural Arkansas, and has won numerous awards including at the Oscars and Golden Globes.

This year, the screening was also planned in the hope of overcoming a recent spike in anti-Asian hate crimes with the “power of culture,” the cultural center said.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) and the aT Center New York provided the event with “K-boxes,” containing Korean snacks, kimchi and more.

Democracy Prep Harlem High School was founded in 2009 and offers Korean language and culture courses to its students.

“We planned the ‘Minari’ screening to enhance people’s understanding of the arduous history of Korean-American immigration and communities,” said Executive Director Jo Yun-jeung of the Korean Cultural Center New York. “I hope this contributes to resolving anti-Asian hate crimes and racial tensions between communities.”

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]