Tracing the tumultuous lives of survivors who testify to the brutal massacre and violation of human rights committed in the Jeju Islands under the US army military government in Korea.
This documentary was screened at the 2nd Busan International Film Festival(BIFF) and the 2nd Seoul Human Rights Film Festival in 1997, and the Berlin International Film Festival Young Forum section on February, 1998. The police and the public prosecutor’s office held the National Security Law’s article prohibiting any expression serving the interest of the enemy against the film to be publicly shown to the public, and went as far as to seal off the Hongik University(Seoul) opening ceremony venue where the Seoul Human Rights Film Festival was to be held on Sept. 27th, 1997. And when the festival organizers, with the help of the Hongik Univ. student council, pushed forward by taking the screenings outdoors, law enforcements took drastic measures by cutting off electricity. The screenings finally took place after a portable generator was obtained. Eventually, on Nov. 5th, the Festival Director of the Seoul Human Rights Film Festival and leading Korean human rights activists, SUH Joon-shik was arrested and imprisoned. In May, the following year the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch awarded him with a Hellman/Hammet Grant.
The director of the film, CHO Sung-bong faced trial without detention due to a dismissed warrant by the Busan district court. However, he still had to deal with various troubles until the Supreme Court acquitted him on March 9th, 2001. “Overall, the court cannot find any reason for the production of the film having intentions of conversion or content that poses threat to national security, or harm to the order of free democracy.”(Supreme Court sentence verdict [Violation of National Security Act(glorifiying and encouraging etc