Gook — Full-Length Trailer

source:   samuelgoldwynfilms.com

added: Wed, Jun 28th '17

Winner of the NEXT Audience Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, "Gook" is a provocatively titled indie dramedy from Korean-American writer-director-actor Justin Chon, perhaps best known for appearing in the "Twilight" films and starring in the comedy "21 & Over."

As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the 1992 L.A. Riots, the movie was inspired by Chon's own childhood memories of that period, whose father's real-life shoe store in East Compton was looted during the start of the citywide unrest.

Chon stars opposite YouTube comedian David So as two Korean American brothers who find themselves stuck running their late father's shoe store during the hours leading up to the racially-charged riots.

The movie, shot in stark black and white, also revolves around the poignant relationship between Chon's character and a spunky 11-year-old African-American girl (played by newcomer Simone Baker).

Described as a throwback to the independent films of the early 1990s like "Clerks," "Do the Right Thing," and "Boyz n the Hood," "Gook" offers a rare perspective on the Korean-American experience during the violent aftermath of the Rodney King trial verdict.

The film is set to open in theaters on August 18th. Watch the full-length trailer, above.

synopsis:
Eli (Justin Chon) and Daniel (David So) are two Korean American brothers that run their late father's shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up a unique and unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla (Simone Baker). As Daniel dreams of becoming a recording artist and Eli struggles to keep the store afloat, racial tensions build to a breaking point in L.A. as the "infamous" L.A. Riots break out.

 

directed by   Justin Chon

starring   Justin Chon, David So, Simone Baker

release date   August 18, 2017

View all trailers / clips for: