The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Thu, May 26, 2022 | 07:31
Fashion
Film challenges biases on sexual slavery
Posted : 2018-06-15 15:46
Updated : 2018-10-08 08:28
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Film sheds light on misinformation on comfort women

By Jung Da-min

Miki Dezaki. Courtesy of Felix Makarowski
Miki Dezaki. Courtesy of Felix Makarowski
The documentary film "Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of the Comfort Women Issue" tells how scholars and activists from many countries, as well as Korea and Japan, see the issue.

To give his audience impartial information about the wartime sexual slavery that put Korea and Japan poles apart, filmmaker Miki Dezaki included interviews with some controversial figures. These included Park Yu-ha of Sejong University in Seoul, who was criticized for her book "Comfort Women of the Empire" for allegedly "defaming" victims, and Yoshiko Sakurai, a Japanese journalist who was sued by Takashi Uemura ― the journalist who broke the story about comfort women ― for defamation.

Dezaki, a Japanese-American, came to Japan in 2007 on a teacher exchange program. He said he started to wonder why the Japanese find it hard to say what they think on the comfort women issue.

"I found that the (Japanese) government and these Japanese revisionists are trying so actively to change the minds of Americans and people in the world," Dezaki said. "Why are historical issues so important to them?"

Dezaki felt that Korean and Japanese media have not done a good job showing the complexities of the comfort women issue.

Students lead 1,345th weekly protest against sex slavery by imperial Japan
Students lead 1,345th weekly protest against sex slavery by imperial Japan
2018-07-25 18:36  |  Foreign Affairs

"News media from both countries haven't been very good at presenting the details of the comfort women issue," he said. "When arguing with each other, both Koreans and Japanese take their nationalistic stances because their news media has omitted certain points and exaggerated others."

Dezaki decided to make a documentary film that consists of interviews of scholars and activists in Korea and Japan to present a more objective and integrated view of the issue. "I wish both Korean and Japanese people will watch the film so they can have more productive discussions on the issue in the future," he said.

He addresses the very detailed arguments of the issue that he admittedly said could be a little slow at times in the film. "I didn't want to be accused of leaving an argument out to favor one side over the other," he said.

Unlike other comfort women-related documentaries, Dezaki's film does not include many testimonies of victims. "There is one reason why I did not put in more of their testimonies," he said. "It's because Japanese people do not trust testimonies anymore. Both young and old people in Japan now think Korean people, or Korean women, cry and manipulate people's emotions to believe them. I need to appeal to their logic."

Although the film would be more dramatic with the stories of comfort women, that does not help reach the minds of the Japanese public, he said. "I did not want Japanese people to disregard my movies because of that."

Dezaki said he could interview scholars and activists from both liberal and right-wing sides, thanks to his unique identity as a Japanese-American.

"My position as a Japanese-American was unique in making the film," he said. "I don't think some of the interviewees would do the interview if I were Korean, Chinese or white American."

The director is now planning to submit the documentary to some Korean film festivals later in the year. He is considering the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in September or the Busan International Film Festival in October.

Cho Jung-rae, the director of the 2016 movie "Spirits' Homecoming," has expressed interest in the film.

"The film would be a great source for healthy debate, in that it presents how the comfort women issue has come to interest Japanese politicians," Cho said. "It seems like it not only shows an issue of gender but also other issues of international relations."

The teaser for the movie can be seen here: https://youtu.be/K3XKOEsLcao

Visit fb.com/mikinefilms for more information.



Emaildamin.jung@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
  • Gunman kills 18 children at Texas elementary school
  • Over 76% of Koreans support legalizing euthanasia
  • N. Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles, including 1 suspected ICBM: JCS
  • Will government establish new immigration agency?
  • Korea to allow visa waiver at Yangyang airport for int'l travelers from 4 countries
  • North Korea launches missiles to test Seoul-Washington deterrence
  • [INTERVIEW] Defender of inter-country adoptees' rights
  • Auditing firms compete to secure rookie accountants
  • Police forward Terraform Labs CEO home trespassing case to prosecution
  • Daewoo E&C offers health programs for workers
  • 'The Witch: Part 2' director still has more story to tell 'The Witch: Part 2' director still has more story to tell
  • Park Chan-wook returns to Cannes with romance 'Decision to Leave' Park Chan-wook returns to Cannes with romance 'Decision to Leave'
  • Former GFriend member Yuju sings on track for drama 'Kiss Sixth Sense' Former GFriend member Yuju sings on track for drama 'Kiss Sixth Sense'
  • Tim Burton's iconic world of misunderstood misfits returns to Korea Tim Burton's iconic world of misunderstood misfits returns to Korea
  • BLACKPINK on cover of Rolling Stone BLACKPINK on cover of Rolling Stone
DARKROOM
  • 75th Cannes Film Festival

    75th Cannes Film Festival

  • People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

    People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

  • 2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

    2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

  • Worsening drought puts millions at risk

    Worsening drought puts millions at risk

  • Our children deserve the best

    Our children deserve the best

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group