Description

Filmmaker in attendance.

Forced to move back to his small nowhere hometown, a wannabe comedian finds his dreams derailed in the family restaurant. Life gets more complicated when his spoiled, orange-haired teenage cousin from Korea unexpectedly shows up, sending the two on a funny and bittersweet journey of discovering new paths for themselves.

Our dreams, our life’s ambitions, often differ from fantasy and reality.  We focus on the exciting and thrilling aspects while our brains filter out the negative.  It’s our way of keeping hope alive. When reality does set in, it can be quite a rude awakening. In such a way, Moses Kim discovers the harsh realities of growing up—through laughter and tears.

Recently married with a newborn baby, Moses finds his current trajectory as a stand-up comedian living in Toronto upended when he has to take over his parents’ restaurant in the small town of Windsor, Canada. As the dutiful, though reluctant, son of Korean immigrant parents, Moses and his wife Yoojin accept the new responsibility. While his wife seems to adapt well to family life and adulting, Moses soon grows restless and realizes that he isn’t quite as ready. Compounding the situation, Moses finds himself additionally burdened by the arrival of Joon, his young cousin from Korea. A high school student in a foreign place, Joon finds himself at odds with his grumpy, entitled Canadian older cousin. Eventually, the two form an uneasy but affectionate odd couple alliance, fortified by their mutual love of K-Pop.

STAND UP MAN explores the common theme of first generation children of immigrant parents trying to balance life in North America while grappling with familial obligations.  Moses routinely confronts what it means for him to be both Korean and Canadian. Through patience, pratfalls, and practice, Moses learns that you can still make your own choices.  You can still become your own stand up man. —Jeremy Gaudette

Co-presented with Community Partners: Asian AF and Koreatown Youth + Community Center

Director's Bio

Aram Collier is a filmmaker, educator, and former film festival programmer. He has a background in documentary, and his award winning films have played festivals in the United States, Canada, Japan and China. Based in Toronto, Aram is a mixed race Asian Canadian/American and a San Francisco native who has a BFA and MFA in Film Production from the University of California at Santa Cruz and York University respectively.

Credits

Director: Aram Siu Wai Collier
Writer: Aram Siu Wai Collier, Nathalie Younglai
Producer: Aram Siu Wai Collier, Tony Lau, Betty Xie
Director of Photography: Kevin. C. Wong
Editor: Aram Siu Wai Collier
Cast: Daniel Jun, Daegun Daniel Lee, Rosalina Lee

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