Take Off (2009 film)

Take Off (Korean: 국가대표; lit. 'National Representative') is a 2009 South Korean sports drama film written and directed by Kim Yong-hwa. It follows a group of misfit athletes who form Korea’s first national ski jumping team to compete in the 1998 Winter Olympics. The film was the 2nd most attended film of the year in South Korea with 8,392,953 admissions. Critics noted its blend of sports drama, comedy, and themes of national belonging, particularly in its portrayal of the protagonist, an adoptee navigating identity and family. Scholars and journalists have noted similarities between the characters and the real first Korean ski jumpers for the national team, whose stories were not widely known until after the film’s success.