Educational Media Reviews Online

Bittersweet Joke is a documentary that captures the personal struggles of two South Korean unwed mothers named Hyunjin and Hyungsook. In South Korea, as explained in the documentary, “single mothers" are divorced or widowed mothers whereas "unwed mothers" are unmarried women with children, which still remains a cultural taboo. In the film, Hyunjin and Hyungsook provide insights on the positive and negative consequences of choosing single parenthood as unmarried women.

Director Pak Yeonah adeptly weaves together the narratives of each woman and chronicles how they cope with their status as "unwed mothers." Hyunjin, 27, chose to give birth and keep her daughter despite dissent from the child's father. Still fighting to receive child support two years later, she hopes her ex-boyfriend would eventually become more involved in their child's life. Hyungsook, 40, did not want to marry her son's father and chose to raise their child independently. She seeks to change mainstream views and discriminatory policies against unwed mothers by becoming an activist, educator and a public face of single parenthood. However, her actions take a toll on her reputation and beauty parlor business.

Bittersweet Joke is recommended for gender studies and sociology courses focusing on women's rights, single parenting, family and society. The film would also be useful for examining and discussing cross-cultural viewpoints on hetero-normative values, womanhood, motherhood and family structures.