A city re-enacts its own massacre while ghosts of 1980 refuse to stay buried.
The South Korean city of Gwangju, will commemorate the May 18th 1980 uprising in style. They will stage a grand re-enactment of the scenes of the May uprising 25 years earlier, when martial law troops killed civilians, including women and children.
Direction
Blurring documentary and re-enactment until neither feels real.
Editing
Cuts between 1980 footage and 2005 rehearsals gut you.
Director
Gwang-Man Park
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Gwangju Uprising was buried under authoritarian censorship until the 1990s; this 2005 film arrived as South Korea was still excavating official narratives.
Director Park worked with the actual bereaved families, meaning some 'performers' are mourning their own relatives on camera.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
KR
