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Producers of the documentary ``Sorry Dokdo,'' including singer and narrator Kim Jang-hoon, right, talk about the film that will be released Dec. 31. / Yonhap |
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporte
The Dokdo islets in the East Sea have triggered continuous controversy between Korea and Japan regarding sovereignty. The islets have been out of the news recently, but they return this month with documentary film `` Sorry Dokdo."
Slated for release on Dec. 31, director Choi Hyun-muk, producer Seo Kyoung-duk and narrator/singer Kim Jang-hoon got together recently at Lotte Cinema near Konkuk University to explain how they brought the islets to life in the 98-minute documentary film.
``First of all, I can't believe we have come this far. It was hard just to set foot on the islands, as the weather was so foggy most of the time. We also had to find people who really loved Dokdo and listen to their stories. Nothing was easy, but it paid off,'' Choi said at a press conference Monday.
Unlike the aggressive rallies and chants witnessed on the news, the movie is subtle yet straightforward. As a documentary, it takes viewers to the islets and shows how Koreans and non-Koreans alike are striving to put Dokdo on the map.
``We didn't want to refute every little thing Japan threw at us. The movie is not about teaching people about our rights, but about the facts. The film doesn't force any message. We just looked into the lives of the people related to Dokdo, like the 80-year-old man who started learning English just to teach foreigners more about Dokdo and the members at VANK (Volunteer Agency Network of Korea),'' he added. VANK is a private group of Internet users who focus on rectifying misinformation regarding Korea.
Seo, a Korea PR expert famous for publishing an advertisement in the New York Times regarding Dokdo last September, also joined Choi to make the film.
``We were thinking of a way to bring the issue to the world, and decided to do that through cultural contents,'' Seo said.
The decision of narrator was also critical, for tone of voice affects the whole vibe of a film. Korean singer and avid Dokdo lover Kim was tapped for the job. He still seemed thrilled to have participated in the project.
``Even for me, the Dokdo issue comes as a rather furious and extreme issue. But the movie is calm and peaceful. There were even some tear jerking moments for me at the end,'' he said.
``The most important thing about this movie is that it can be used as a valuable document. We don't have much materials or relevant documents regarding this issue and (the film) will be perfect as one. As a singer, my ultimate dream is to hold a big festival at Dokdo. It will be a natural way to remind the place to even foreigners. Where is the festival being held? At Dokdo. Where is that? In the East Sea? And where is that? In Korea,'' he added.
Choi hopes that the film reminds the Korean public of the importance of securing their righteous sovereignty over the islets.
``We tend to forget too fast. It's been a while since the Dokdo issue was the main news in our conversations, and I think this is the perfect time to bring such a film to the public,'' he said.
hanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
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경찰, 이태원 등 외국인 밀집지역 특별관리
