My Father's Table

Lee Joon-ik’s first new work in five years, following The Book of Fish (2021), is, somewhat surprisingly, My Father's Table, a work in “short-form” format. But only the form has changed; what we think of as “a Lee Joon-ik film” remains intact, as does the director’s unmistakable emotional signature. Sun-ae has spent her entire life making home-cooked meals for her patriarchal husband, Ha-eung. But when an accident causes her to forget every recipe she knows, it is the husband who must now cook. Day after day, Ha-eung struggles in the unfamiliar space of the kitchen, trying to satisfy his wife’s requests, and the act of cooking becomes intertwined with the story of a family. Based on Gorigorita’s webtoon of the same title, My Father's Table is a film about something so ordinary that its value has long gone unnoticed: the carefully prepared meals made by one’s mother. By reversing the roles of giver and receiver, the film creates a reflective narrative of empathy and belated understanding. Though described as “short-form,” the work runs 156 minutes. Yet it moves along in one sustained flow, without ever feeling tedious. The actors’ performances also deepen the sense of immersion.