위안부 다룬 영화 눈길 개봉
A movie about Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery during the times under Japanese rule was released on March 1st in theaters across the nation.
To tell us what the film represents and portrays, and about the message many take away from it…here’s our Lee Unshin.
Young-ae and Jong-bun are two teenage girls full of life, full of dreams.
But their lives are soon to be snatched away from their hands, as they are forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers, during Japan’s occupation of Korea prior World War Two.
This is the plot of the historical drama ‘Snowy Road’, directed by Lee Na-jeong and released on March 1st, or Korea’s Independence Movement Day.
And despite her experience in documenting Korean history, the director says depicting something as dehumanizing as sexual enslavement was a true challenge.
“Portraying the reality back then was important, but more crucial for me was to take into account the thoughts and feelings of the few surviving victims. The last thing I wanted was to rub more salt into their wounds, as they have already been through enough pain.”
“The story of Young-ae and Jong-bun represents the countless victims of the brutal war crime. And now that it’s in wide release, it has the potential to reach a broad audience, and serve as yet another reminder of a part of history that should never be forgotten.”
The issue of the wartime victims, who are euphemistically called ‘comfort women’, was a thorny topic between Seoul and Tokyo for decades, until a landmark agreement was reached in December 2015 with Japan agreeing to compensate the victims through a foundation.
However, many Koreans refuse to accept such deal as being proper enough, because it lacked sincerity and what the victims really wanted: an apology from Japan.
And ‘Snowy Road’ conveys, through the eyes of the main protagonists, the need for such apology.
“I wish more people of my age sees this film. I totally understand why an apology is what the victims need after all they went through…rather than a financial compensation.”
Snow is known to beautify everything.
But the snow on the road is not only a beautiful sight for Young-ae and Jong-bun, but also a reminder of sorrow and loneliness.
As such, ‘Snowy Road’ serves as a reminder that some stories, though temporarily blanketed, lie underneath… waiting to be told.
Lee Unshin, Arirang News.
Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages
Facebook(NEWS): http://www.facebook.com/newsarirang
Homepage: http://www.arirang.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/arirangworld
Instagram: http://instagram.com/arirangworld
powered by Auto Youtube Summarize
