It’s the summer of 1992, Los Angeles. Min-Han Lee (45) is a 1st generation immigrant from Korea, with the ambition to run a successful jewelry store in LA and gain his respect as a man. However, when the Rodney King protests break out and all the cops flee uptown, many looters among the protestors started ravaging businesses in Koreatown. Feeling that the Korean Americans are being targeted, Min-Han makes the decision to arm himself and protect the store and the people around him, including Edward Kwon (25), a free-spirited 2nd generation Korean American employee. Until, Min-Han realizes that sitting on the roof with a gun does little to de-escalate the situation but only serves to draw more attention and leads him towards the path of unexpected consequences.

Director’s Vision for ‘Rooftop’

Rooftop is a film that reflects not only on the generational conflict that we experience, but also on the human nature on a broader scale; what makes us distinguish us versus them, and how does that affect the way we treat others? And these are not questions unique to the Korean immigrants.

Although 15 minutes is too short to convey the full extent of the events of 1992, I hope that the film serves as a great starting point for a much deeper conversation. One that would allow people to learn about each other’s perspectives and opinions without resorting to our insecurity-derived instincts to defend our own.