My Father was a Footballer

Matthew Kim’s father was a footballer. In 1985, he led the South Korean National team to their first world cup appearance in 32 years. Weeks before the world cup, he tore his meniscus and never got to play at the world’s stage. Kim’s father never got over his unfulfilled dream, and from when Kim was 7 to 16, his father was absent from his life — pursuing a career as a football agent and scout.
Kim asks the question: Where do your dreams end and mine begin? This film is a means of reconciling with his dad — learning about him through spoken interview, archival footage, and their love for football, coming to terms and understanding their strained relationship and who they are.

Matthew Kim is a Korean American artist based in Los Angeles. Working between documentary and printmaking, his work explores working-class Asian American perspectives. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, he is an Armed with a Camera fellow, and recently premiered his short documentary MY FATHER WAS A FOOTBALLER at the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. He is also currently a NeXtDoc Fellow, and is developing a feature documentary.

Main Cast: Kim Suk Won

Producer: Patrick Le

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