KIM-GUN (2018)

This film begins with a photo of an armed civilian in Gwangju in May 1980. Mr. Ji Man-won, a conservative commentator, claimed the North Korean military intervened in the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement. According to Mr. Ji, the person in the picture is the North Korean soldier, ‘No. 1 Gwang-soo’, who masterminded the movement. The director traces the young man′s whereabouts based on the faint clues left in the picture. Amid the numerous photos that Ji Man-won presented as the basis for his claim, Gwangju citizens, who were suspected as ‘Gwang-soos’, filed a lawsuit against Mr. Ji. However, No. 1 Gwang-soo does not appear, and people do not remember him. The only thing they managed to recall from the vague memories was the fact that he was a ragman, Kim-Gun. The director approaches the truth gradually as interviews with numerous people and old data are closely compiled. At the end of the chase, what will we encounter? The directing power creating the tension is so great that we have to watch and hold our breath until the last moment. (Huh Kyoung)
[23th BIFF Wide Angle]