‘컵밥 Cup Rice’ is a documentary about the city of Noryangjin in South Korea, where thousands of young people study and live in order to pass exams and become civil workers. While it is commonly thought that ‘it’s good that they pursue their goals’ and ‘it’s good that they have dreams’, this intense exam system can cause many to fail under pressure, making Noryangjin an extreme metaphor for the current state of South Korea – where some may secure a job, but many continue to struggle.