Hey, everybody! What's going on? It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is So Yun Um.
Who are you?
My name is So. I'm a proud Korean American filmmaker, film programmer, and film critic. I am a big fan of The Matrix, Ktown, graphic novels, inspirational quotes, hot cheetos, and K-pop.
What are you?
I'm a Korean American, daughter to Liquor Store Owners, little sister, a loyal friend, Gemini, ARMY, Gryffindor, and all around a passionate supporter of underrepresented voices and communities.
Where are you?
Currently, I'm in my office in Venice, California where I work as the Editor-in-Chief of the first and only K-pop publisher on Snapchat called ID:K. And I just finished lunch so I'm feeling pretty good rn.
Where are you from?
Born and raised in Koreatown, California. Despite what misconceptions people have of what a "Ktown" person looks and is like, I can confidently say, it's always been my home and I'll rep it till I die. Also ironic that even though I grew up in Ktown and that my parents are liquor store owners, I actually cannot drink at all. Like, I will DIE! I've tried Pepcid before and it just doesn't work for me.
After the 5th grade, I moved to the suburbs of Torrance, California and have been around that area ever since.
What do you do?
I'm a filmmaker, film programmer, and film critic. I fell in love with film when I took a film studies class in High School and I watched Requiem for a Dream and it messed me up so badly, it somehow made me want to pursue any profession in film after that.
I created a film blog/YouTube channel called So's Reel Thoughts, where I've been critiquing films for 10+ years. I've been film programming for festivals like AFI FEST, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, LA Film Festival and etc. I love supporting underrepresented filmmakers however I can.
I love filmmaking and most recently, I directed a short called Liquor Store Babies through Visual Communication's Armed with a Camera program. It's about my relationship with my parents and how our American dreams are cyclical in many ways. It's a serious tearjerker! I plan on releasing the short film in late February so look out for that!
What are you all about?
I'm a lover. A fighter. A dreamer. I'm all about self-care, skin-care, appreciating little moments and victories, working hard, being kind and elevating others, supporting communities, empowering women.
What makes you angry?
A lot of things. They call it K-rage for a reason and it's not pretty. Just the injustice of life. The mistreatment of immigrants. The lack of empathy toward homeless people. The model minority myth. Passive aggressive and racist people.
