Synopsis
In the spring of 1992, I, a film director, became acquainted with two long-term ‘unconverted’ political prisoners. Sent to South Korea as spies, they were arrested and spent thirty years in prison, serving out their sentences without renouncing their communist beliefs.
At that time, with no place to call home, they moved to our neighborhood. And drawn to their utterly un-spy-like demeanor, I subsequently filmed them for more than a decade.
By the end of the 1990s, relations between North and South Korea significantly improved, and even the most hardened unconverted cases were released. And my question of “How did these men survive the dehumanizing conversion process of systematic torture for more than 40 years?” had turned into “What awaited them in the outside world? And what was their final destiny?”
In the new millennium, President KIM Dae-jung’s presidency saw a growing movement to repatriate the long-term ‘unconverted’ political prisoners, especially those from the Korean War. In the year 2000, sixty-three former ‘unconverted’ prisoners were finally repatriated to the North.
And I tried to go to Pyongyang to meet them living in the North in vain. Instead CHO sends his heartwarming words saying that he thinks of me like a son.
Director's Note
“Beliefs, Hope, Peace, Coexistence”
I want to speak about the walls that I've felt during meeting the long-term prisoners. I believe accepting these walls is an inevitable task for the unification of Korea. Unification cannot be achieved just by long-cherished desires or shouting it out loud. Even if unification is suddenly announced some day, it cannot be completed truly as long as these walls exist.
Long-term prisoners not only represent the conflict between South and North Korea but they also strongly remind us of what human beliefs really are. One’s belief has the strong power that cannot be forcefully yielded by any system at all. And it’s true that keeping one’s belief is the same as maintaining the nobility of humanity.
This documentary tries to instill belief and hope for the peace and coexistence that overcomes the ideological differences.
Director's Bio / Filmography
- KIM Dong-won
Born in Seoul, Korea in 1955
Graduated from Sogang Univ. Dept. of Mass Comm.
Graduated from Graduate School of Sogang Univ., Dept. of Mass Communication
He’s the president of P.U.R.N. Production, a leading documentary film group in Korea, He’s responsible for such remarkable documentaries. Formed in 1991, P.U.R.N. Production graps the turbulent times of 1980s.
1988 [Sangkye-dong Olympics] documentary, video, 27min.
Berlin Int’l Film Festival (1989, Germany)
2nd Yamagata Int’l Documentary Film Festival (1991, Japan)
1990 [Standing on the Edge of Death] documentary, video, 29min.
2nd Yamagata Int’l Documentary Film Festival (1991, Japan)
1993 [In the Forest of Media] documentary, video, 36min.
1994 [Haengdang-dong People] documentary, video, 31min.
1995 [We'll Be One] documentary, video, 36min.
1997 [The 6 Days Struggle at the Myong Dong Cathedral] documentary, video, 74min.
Berlin Int’l Film Festival (1998, Germany)
Unpa Award (Best Documentary), 3rd Pusan Int’l Film Festival (1998, Korea)
1999 [Another World We Are Making] documentary, video, 42min.
5th Yamagata Int’l Documentary Film Festival (1997, Japan)
2001 [One Man] documentary, video, 50min.
2003 [Repatriation] documentary, DV 6mm, 149min.
2nd Salaya International Documentary Film Festival (2012, Thailand)
3nd Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (2009, Korea)
3rd Annual Int'l Human Rights Documentary Film Festival VERZIO (2006, Hungary)
41st Pesaro Film Festival (2005, Italy)
7th Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (2005, Argentina)
20th Mar del Plata Int’l Film Festival (2005, Argentina)
Documentary Award, 19th Fribourg Int’l Film Festival (2005, Switzerland)
Best Production Award, Chunsa Film Art Festival (2004, Korea)
17th Int’l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (2004, The Netherlands)
9th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2004, Korea)
Freedom of Expression Award, Sundance Film Festival (2004, USA)
Special Screening (Juror’s Film), Yamagata Int’l Documentary Film Festival (2003, Japan)
2005 [If You Were Me 2, "Jongno, Winter"] 35mm, color, 18'39"
4th Mollet del Vallès Asian Film Festival (2007, Spain)
8th Cinemanila International Film Festival (2006, Philippines)
7th Asiaticafilmmediale festival (2006, Italy)
12th Lyon Asian Film Festival (2006, France)
Cinema Korea 2006 (2006, Japan)
2nd InDPanda Int’l Short Film Festival (2006, Hong Kong)
**5th Courtisane Festival of Short Film, Video and New Media (2006, Belgium)
4th Paris Cinema Film Festival (2006, France)
*Competition, 8th Women’s Film Festival in Seoul (2006, Korea)
22nd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival (2006, USA)
Official Selection, 7th Newport Beach Film Festival (2006, USA)
19th Singapore Int’l Film Festival (2006, Singapore)
Opening Film, CJ Asia Indie Film Festival (2005, Korea)
49th The Times BFI London Film Festival (2005, UK)
24th Vancouver Int’l Film Festival (2005, Canada)
10th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2005, Korea)
6th Jeonju Int’l Film Festival (2005, Korea)
**”A Boy with the Knapsack” screened only
*”Seaside Flower” to be screened only
2008 [63 Years on] documentary, HD, color, 60min.
Staff
Director, Producer : KIM Dong-won
Production : P.U.R.N. Production
Narration : KIM Dong-won
Assistant Director : JUNG Chang-young, GONG Eun-ju
Editing : KIM Dong-won, RYU Mi-rye
Photography : KIM Tai-il, JUNG Chang-young, CHANG Young-kil, OH Jung-hoon, MOON Jung-hyun
Music Director : LEE Ji-eun
Composer : KIM Dong-bum, LEE Ji-eun
Sound : PYO Yong-soo
Sound Recording : MEDIACT
Coloring, effect : HONG Soo-dong, LEE Seung-ho (Jin Gong)
Art : LEE Hee-yong
Research Support : KWON Nak-ki, NAM Kyu-sun, KIM Hee-chul, JUN Woo-young, KIM Chul-jin, SONG Deok-ho, KWON Oh-hyun, Ishimaru Jiro
English Translation : CHO Eung-joo, Minako Yoshida
Distribution : INDIESTORY Inc.
Co-distribution : Artplus Cinema Network
World Sales and Distribution : INDIESTORY Inc.
Distribution Support : KOFIC
Cast
JO Chang-son
KIM Suk-hyung
KIM Sun-myung
SHIN In-young
RYU Han-wook
KIM Young-sik
HAHM Sae-hwan
