[HanCinema's Film Review] "Small Pond"

The Korean American Community Center of San Francisco & Bay Area (KASS-SF) is, or perhaps more accurately was, a central organization of ethnic Koreans in the northern California area of the United States mobilized around collective Korean interest. I write "was" because despite its long history going back to the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States at the turn of the last century, the KASS-SF had fairly pathetic turnout in its 2018 election of only maybe five percent. This was after a huge fight to even have an election at all. "Small Pond" goes into the how of that.

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I write "how" and not "why" because "Small Pond" is frustratingly specific in its detailing of local political minutiae yet quite vague on what exactly the overall situation with the KASS-SF even is. "Small Pond" makes it seem like all they do is put on social events for older Koreans. Which probably isn't too far from the truth. Their website is here, and I link it explicitly because you'll almost certainly find a completely different civic organization if you try to search for it on your own.

That's how out of step they are with modern politics and community organizing. And to be fair, on a philosophical level, the existing leadership and membership of the KASS-SF as of 2018 provides a pretty clear explanation of why. In short, these people are Koreans who consider being Korean to be a core part of their identity. They don't consider mixed-race Asians to be Korean, and they're only barely willing to consider ethnic Koreans who can't speak Korean to be Korean.

This isn't inclusive, and probably detrimental to the long-term prospects of local Korean political power. But this does rather beg the question- what exactly does it mean to wield local Korean political power if you're willing to take the position that other ethnic Asians who don't speak Korean have the same fundamental interests? "Small Pond" never gets into these issues, since the documentary never gets as far as clearly discussing policy.

What few glimmers the documentary does give of policy aren't encouraging. For context, all of the political events in "Small Pond" take place in the wake of the Candlelight Rallies, which are a clear, albeit mostly unspoken, motivation for democratizing the KASS-SF's elections. But after the elections have taken place, we can see explicit mentions of support from the Liberty Korea Party, South Korea's right-wing successor party that formed after impeached president Park Geun-hye disgraced the reputation of the Saenuri party.

Groups of older men in militaristic clothing are also seen doing pledges of this movement's style within the actual community center's walls. The subtext of this is obvious- to me, anyway, but "Small Pond" itself doesnt really address it, instead going over the details of why Silicon Valley has its own community center. Hyperlocal issues take precedence over any kind of useful context, rendering "Small Pond" nearly useless to anyone seeking to understand why the ethnic Korean community in the Bay Area has broken down the way it has.

Written by William Schwartz

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"Small Pond" is directed by Kim Seung-hyun-III, Min Kyung-bok, and features Kim Seung-hyun-III, Min Kyung-bok. Release date in Korea: 2022/11/17.

Avaialble on DVD from YESASIA

DVD (No En Sub)