Athens International Film Festival

Jiseul

Based on a bloody page in South Korean history that is all but forgotten, Muel O. zeroes in on the attempts of an entire village to escape certain death by hiding out in underground caves, faced with freezing temperatures, starvation and fear. Avoiding a traditional reenactment, the director chooses to highlight intimate moments on both sides of the fence.

On April 3, 1948, an uprising broke out on Jeju Island in South Korea, leading to lengthy conflicts and violent anti-communist persecutions by the nationalist state, which pretty much ordered the execution of the entire population.

Based on a bloody page in South Korean history that is all but forgotten, Muel O. zeroes in on the attempts of an entire village to escape certain death by hiding out in underground caves, faced with freezing temperatures, starvation and fear. Avoiding a traditional reenactment, the director chooses to highlight intimate moments on both sides of the fence.

Using striking black and white cinematography to maximum effect, he accentuates the claustrophobic feel of the locations in a masterful game of light and shadow. Emotionally relentless despite its stark aesthetics, the result is a devastatingly beautiful cry against totalitarian regimes, a heart-wrenching requiem for a martyrdom site and everyone who died there. Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Th. P.

jiseul / το νησί της θλίψης - trailer από NyxtesPremieras