Post Six – Okja and ecocriticism

I am sitting here shortly after finishing the movie Okja, directed by Boon Joon-ho. It was a wonderful film about a young girl Mija and her experience fighting to protect her giant pig like creature Okja. The movie starts with a press release explaining the Mirando Coperation’s plan to send 26 giant pig like creatures to farmers around the world in hopes of producing a meat that will have less of an impact on the environment. This scene leads into Mija and Okja going about their day, looking for food and taking naps. Mijas father was one of the farmers chosen to care for these giant creatures in hopes of producing the best one that would attend a contest in New York. Shortly thereafter representatives from the Mirando Coperation show up to collect Okja, and take her back to New York where she will be exploited for her resources. The film is showing Mija’s struggle to get Okja back to her home in the mountains where she will be safe from the people hoping to exploit her.

Looking at the first question “How are nature and culture represented in this text?” It is easy to see that nature is represented as a resource that is on one hand valued, and on another one that is to be exploited and twisted for the benefit of humans. It is clear that Mija values nature and her relationship with it. On the other end of the spectrum there is the Mirando Coperation whose goal is to genetically modify animals to produce not a “cash cow” but a cash pig. This film portrays the Mirando Coperation as the obvious villain that is lying about their plans and hiding in plain sight.

The second question is “How do we see issues of environmental disaster and crises reflected in “Okja”? How are ecoactivists portrayed? How are corporations portrayed? Where does middle ground exist?”. Well, there is very little blatant reflection on the issue of environmental disaster or crisis in this film, but they are hinting at the fact that the world is running out of renewable resources, so they are looking for another way to address this issue through further exploitation. It does hint at the idea that humans will go to any length to exploit a resource to advance their position in the world. Humans are notorious for being blinded by greed and not seeing the damage done by their actions. Ecoactivist are a big part of this film and play the traditional “criminal” role. They are hiding, wearing masks, and resorting to violence (even when their creed says otherwise). The coperations are playing a white collar crime role. They are hiding their crimes from the public and making it look like a good thing. I did not see very much middle ground in this film. In my eyes it was a battle between two polar opposites, resulting in the “success” of both parties. The Mirando Coperation continued to slaughter the giant pigs for profit, and Mija got to take Okja home.

Lastly, “How are animals represented in this text and what is their relationship to humans?” The relationship between Okja and Mija is a powerful one. They have spent 10 years together building a strong bond. Okja has saved Mija’s life, and Mija has saved Okja’s. It is a view of nature that most of the world is very detached from. We have little to no involvement in the procurement, or production of our own food. Taking the life of an animal to feed yourself is not an easy task and let alone one that many people have had to be involved with. The majority of the population goes to the supermarket, buys their meat in a saranwrap package, and consumes it with little to no thought about where it came from, how it was raised, the impact that it had on the life of the animal, or on our planet. I am guilty of this numerous times a week and continue to go through the motions without consequence. I have accessed natural resources through hunting and fishing, the relationship that is had when you are responsible to taking the life of another animal for your own nourishment is not one to be taken lightly, but sadly I continue to take advantage of the convenient, easily accessed resources that are obviously maltreated. This film will result in some serous reflection on my food choices, and hopefully will inspire others to do the same.