'Birdman' swipe at kimchi
A scene from "Birdman" with Michael Keaton, left, as Riggan Thomson / AP-Yonhap
Emma Stone /
Academy Award-winning American film "Birdman" is under fire over a character’s disgust at traditional Korean food kimchi.
Emma Stone, who plays Sam Thomson, the sarcastic daughter of the film's main character, Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, says in the film "It all smells like fxxxing kimchi." She says the line when short-tempered Sam enters a florist shop run by an Asian.
The film has not yet been released in Korea, but Koreans in the U.S. relayed the controversial line to their home country.
Some netizens criticized the film, saying it damaged the image of Korean culture.
Ega Pictures, the film's promoter, based in Seoul, said the line was not meant to cause controversy and only reflected the nature of Stone’s character.
The film on Sunday won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.