Filmmaker zooms in on Korea's 'spycam' epidemic, woeful state of women's rights

Filmmaker Do You-jin / Courtesy of Do You-jin

'Mass protests by women, feminist discourse are changing society slowly'

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director Do You-jin's short film "Open Shutters" zooms in on the country's "spycam" epidemic that prompted mass street protests in 2018 and a larger conversation on the woeful state of women's rights in Korea.

The 35-minute documentary follows the story of Choi Ji-eun, a journalist covering women's protests against "spycam" crimes (hidden cameras often placed in private spaces), as she finds out that she was being filmed through her 22nd-story apartment window by a voyeur on the rooftop of a nearby building.

From the moment a police officer notifies her about the illegal filming to the resulting court case, Choi endures pain and suffering alone.

Do said she was in Thailand on summer vacation when her then workplace colleague, Choi, called her from Korea. "I remember the exact date. It was July 25 of 2018. Choi sounded super anxious and she told me what happened. It was awful to see her in pain after learning about the case," she said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

Then, after a month or two, Choi asked Do to make a documentary about what happened to her.

"I was worried about how traumatizing the court process would be for her, so, I asked her to think carefully. However, she was very determined. She told me, 'I want to take the ownership of the story. I don't want to stay as a victim,'" Do said.

On a personal level, Do wanted to do her part by archiving the female-only protests against the "spycam" issue and gender-biased investigations. Chanting slogans, including "My life is not your porn," tens of thousands of women gathered in Seoul to protest illegal filming and sexism. The protests pressured authorities to revise the law on digital sex crimes.

"I spent my 20s outside of Korea, so I wasn't there when the feminism movement took off around 2015-2016. All my friends used their voices and platforms to fight for gender equality, but I felt like a bystander. I felt indebted to my friends and my little sister who lives in Korea," she said.

Below is an excerpt of The Korea Times interview with Do on her new film "Open Shutters." It has been edited for clarity and readability.

A scene from the documentary, "Open Shutters" / Courtesy of Do You-jin

Q. You must have gone to mass rallies against the "spycam" epidemic that took place in Seoul. What do you remember the most while filming "the biggest-ever women's protest in the country?"

A. I remember going to the first big protest near Hyehwa Station on May 19, 2018 as a videographer for a media outlet. There were only a handful of reporters ― maybe five ― on the scene because nobody predicted 12,000 people would gather for the occasion. There, I saw a friend of mine, an independent filmmaker, operating a camera for a major broadcaster. She was filling in for a male videographer because it was a female-only protest. Another thing I remember is some participants cutting their hair during another protest held in June. That video went viral online, and I received a lot of comments about the odd nature of it.

Q. What were the biggest challenges you had to cope with while making the film?

A. Financing and distributing were the major challenges. Luckily, "Open Shutters" was picked up by Field of Vision in the middle of production. The final court hearing was in 2019 and post-production was completed in 2020. However, we waited for over a year to get its release. The most challenging part while filming was interviewing the victims, including Choi. Because the interviews were conducted over a long period of time, victims had to go into detail about their injuries and suffering. All of the production crewmembers are female, in order to protect our interviewees and ensure that we make them feel safe during the production process.

Q. Do you think there's been much progress since 2018? In your opinion, how far has the movement come?

A. I strongly believe the mass protests incited a change in the public discourse. The language people use when referring to hidden camera has changed. Back then, people used the term "molka," a Korean word for hidden camera. Now, most of the Korean media and society use the term "illegal filming." In the past, if some guy took a photo of a woman on the subway and posted it online, no one thought that it was repulsive. But after the protests, people started pointing out that this is a wrongful act. There were also changes in our legal system. Lawmakers started introducing bills to strengthen penalties and protect victims. However, the "Welcome to Video" and the Nth room cases ― criminal cases involving cybersex trafficking and spreading of sexually exploitative videos ― occurred after the protests, meaning there is still a long way to go.

A scene from the documentary, "Open Shutters" / Courtesy of Do You-jin

Q. Gender, feminism issues have emerged as an important and controversial issue within our society, even in the presidential election. We even witness demonization of feminist discourse, which is deeply disturbing. What are your thoughts on this?

A. I think these kinds of sex crimes are prevalent in Korea due to a lack of awareness about gender equality. Structural discrimination does exist in Korea. But every cloud has a silver lining. Many activist groups, consisting of young men, have started to come forward and express their solidarity on the issue of women's rights. They show that anti-feminists are not the representatives of men in their 20s. The courage that women, including Choi, show in the film to stand up for themselves is truly admirable.

Do said the film is intended for a global audience as she wants to amplify the women's rights movement in Korea to the entire world. Considering herself an archivist, she feels determined to archive fearless stories from Asian women. Her next project will be a feature-length documentary on women's rights in Korea.

"Open Shutters" is available to watch on YouTube, Field of Vision and Vimeo.