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| A scene from the film "Gwangju Video: The Missing" / Courtesy of FEEL&PLAN |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
"Gwangju Video: The Missing" is an archival film that retraces the Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980, and the brutal government response, through national and international video footage and interviews of foreign correspondents and domestic witnesses.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, during which hundreds of unarmed civilians in Gwangju, at the time the provincial capital of South Jeolla Province, were killed in a deadly military crackdown.
While the first half of the film focuses on events leading up to the Gwangju Uprising, the latter part follows what happened in front of the Provincial Hall of South Jeolla Province on May 21, the fifth day of the protest, when soldiers opened fire on citizens, leaving hundreds injured or dead. The military force then faced massive resistance from the protesters.
There are no documents, photos, videos or audio recordings providing evidence of the mass shooting that took place between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. in front of the Provincial Hall on May 21. Reporters, photojournalists and civilians were unable to collect evidence because their own lives were at risk.
"The photos of the military crackdown, which were made public in Gwangju this year, were sold by airborne troops to collectors," director Lee Jo-hoon said during a press conference for the film, Wednesday. "I hope someone familiar with the matter makes a disclosure in the public interest."
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| A poster for the film "Gwangju Video: The Missing" / Courtesy of FEEL&PLAN |
"In the midst of analyzing extensive documents, I realized that the record was missing for four hours (between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.) on May 21. I wanted to track down what exactly happened then, but was unable to find any videos or photos," he said.
"I inquired at the National Archives of Korea and Defense Security Command (DSC) about the four missing hours of the May 21 mass shooting, but that didn't prove as fruitful as I hoped. The DSC information officer said with a sneer, 'you're trying really hard.'"
Lee also expressed regret that he had been unable to interview many other witnesses because they had passed away.
"The biggest takeaway from this film could be learning how civilians played a pivotal role in the pro-democracy movement, by not only participating in rallies but also producing and distributing footage of the Gwangju Uprising and telling the world about our dark reality," he said.
"Gwangju Video: The Missing" will hit local theaters in July.
