Whole Grain Pictures, a division of MediaOCD, has announced the acquisition of home media rights for three acclaimed Asian live-action titles: Zhang Yimou’s “Red Sorghum”, Song Hae-sung’s “Failan”, and Jeon Go-woon’s “Microhabitat”. All three titles are scheduled for Blu-ray release later in 2026.
“Red Sorghum”, Zhang Yimou’s celebrated 1987 debut, will join the Whole Grain Pictures catalog in an all-new HD remastered edition, marking its first North American presentation in this format. Set in rural Shandong, China, in the late 1930s, the story follows Jiu’er, a young woman sent by her parents to marry the elderly owner of a struggling sorghum wine distillery. After his mysterious death, she takes control of the business, gradually earning the loyalty and affection of the workers around her. The movie won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and also marked the screen debut of Gong Li. Its Blu-ray release is planned for summer 2026.
Also included in the slate is the South Korean melodrama “Failan”, directed by Song Hae-sung and originally released in 2001. The story follows Failan, a Chinese immigrant who arrives in Korea after losing her parents, only to discover that her remaining relatives have moved to Canada. In order to stay in the country, she enters an arranged marriage with Kang-jae, a small-time gangster played by Choi Min-sik. The movie explores love, loneliness, emotional isolation, and unexpected human connection, and has long been praised for its performances and emotional depth. Its Blu-ray release is scheduled for fall 2026.
The third title, “Microhabitat”, is Jeon Go-woon’s 2017 South Korean indie drama. Centered on Mi-so, a young housekeeper in Seoul, the movie follows a woman who decides to give up her apartment when rent and cigarette prices rise, choosing instead to preserve the few pleasures that make her life bearable: cigarettes, whiskey, and her struggling artist boyfriend. As she couch surfs among friends, “Microhabitat” becomes a socially conscious portrait of precarity, personal freedom, and the compromises demanded by contemporary urban life. The title is also set for fall 2026.
Whole Grain Pictures specializes in restoring and releasing lost, under-appreciated, independent, and foreign cinema, working through MediaOCD’s restoration and Blu-ray production infrastructure. More information is available through MediaOCD’s official website and social media channels.
