Event Information

The Mother and the Bear

IFC Center
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 5:05 PM
Event Pricing
Admission General Admission - $18.00
Admission Senior - $15.00
Admission Child - $15.00

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In a snow-swept Winnipeg, school teacher Sumi (Leere Park) is hospitalized after a fall. On hearing the news, her anxious mother, Sara (Kim Ho-jung), flies over from Seoul to be with her comatose daughter — and once Sara sets herself up in the young woman’s apartment, she discovers she doesn't really know Sumi at all.

Sara despairs about her daughter’s single status, so she immediately starts catfishing the pleasant Min (Jonathan Kim) to be Sumi’s boyfriend — once she wakes up, of course — and also gets unwittingly entangled with Min’s estranged father, Sam (Won-Jae Lee), who runs a Korean restaurant in the city. As Sam and the widowed Sara connect over their mutual melancholies, a chance meeting with Sumi’s co-worker Amaya (Amara Pedroso Saquel) leads Sara to learn more about the life from which her daughter has chosen to exclude her.

A unique mash-up of genres, this stylized, whimsical story of crossed wires, secret lives, and conflicting agendas marks a bold new direction for filmaker Johnny Ma (Old Stone).

"A charming and whimsical story brimming with adventure and self-discovery. Watching Kim Ho-jung on screen is a true delight" - Kristy Strouse, Film Inquiry

"A rare and lovely thing...a coming-of-age story for a woman in her 50s. Kim Ho-jung is delightful." - Taylor Gates, Collider

Official selection: TIFF



Film Details
Country:Canada, Chile
Format:DCP
Running Time:100
Language:Korean with English subtitles, English
Trailer URL (YouTube or Vimeo):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G28UkcvmxgM
Director:Johnny Ma
Cast:Kim Ho-jung
Won-Jae Lee
Jonathan Kim
Amara Pedroso Saquel
Leere Park
Accessibility:Assistive Listening
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