Happy Tuesday All,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter! A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world.
In this week’s newsletter: France, Vietnam, Korea & Finding the Perfect Movie.
Not sure what to watch tonight?
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The Mountains Sing is a gripping tale about the Communist Land Reform and the Vietnam war. It’s an intergenerational story told through the eyes of a young girl (the author) and her grandma recounting their family history.
I couldn’t help seeing some overlap with First They Killed My Father, another young girl’s war account in Vietnam’s neighboring country, Cambodia (there’s also a Netflix movie).
Although both are incredible stories, I liked the Mountains Sing best. It’s impactful, beautifully told, and has a refined and interesting historical view.
With an 8.1 on IMDB, The Handmaiden is one of the all-time best Korean movies. Wikipedia describes it as a South Korean erotic psychological thriller, and I can confirm that it’s wonderfully exciting but somewhat weird.
In Japanese-occupied Korea, a criminal decides to seduce a Japanese heiress to steal her inheritance. He hires a female pickpocket to become her maid and support his plan to marry him.
The scheme doesn’t unfold as planned, and everywhere, betrayal lurks around the corner. The movie has various twists, with the next being even more exciting than the previous.
You can rent the movie on Youtube for $2.99.
“Take extreme ownership.
You are responsible for everything in your world.
Nothing is to blame on others.
As a leader, take responsibility for mistakes but let the team take the credit for success.”
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
