Pictured above: Jack (Vin Kridakorn) and his sister Alice (Madeline Lupi) in the short film Milkshake
by REERA YOO
While there have been several films about the Korean adoptee experience, very few have focused on the relationship between adopted interracial siblings like the short film Milkshake.
Directed by SangJin Ko, Milkshake tells the story of a brother and sister struggling to make ends meet after their parents’ deaths. Jack, 18, a Korean adoptee, is forced to drop out of school in order to provide for his Caucasian younger sister Alice, 6, who is also adopted. When the harsh reality settles in and Jack is deemed unfit to remain as guardian, he is forced to consider putting his sister up for adoption.
The short film takes a unique perspective, as it addresses family and identity issues among interracial adoptive siblings. At one point in the film, Jack asks his sister why she keeps getting into fights at school, and she responds that her classmate bullies her and tells Jack he is not her brother because he is of a different race.
Milkshake has already screened at multiple film festivals and was introduced at the Cannes’ 2013 Short Film Corner. Its next screenings will be at the NewFilmmakers New York Festival on Oct. 2 and the Marbella International Film Festival in Spain on Oct. 5.
Ko, the 32-year-old director, studied law at Yonsei University and later studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. He has worked on over 20 films as a director, producer and editor.
To learn more about the short film, check out its official website.
Photo courtesy of Cinema Kography
