 A scene from the Filipino film "The Forgotten War" (2008). English network Arirang TV is airing a foreign film and documentary to commemorate the Korean War (1950-53). / Courtesy of Arirang TV |
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
English network Arirang TV is bringing programs made overseas dealing with the Korean War to commemorate its 60th anniversary.
Instead of bringing something with an inside view, the network decided to bring works that were made by fellow allies ― Turkey and the Philippines ― under the theme ``Allies Remember the War.’’
The documentary ``The Forgotten War, Korea’’ (2009) will bring the Turkish point of view of the war. Korea was destroyed, but it wasn’t alone. Numerous soldiers and their families suffered from the neighboring war, and the documentary shows how such families managed to brace themselves back up and start a new life. From interviews with Turkish soldiers and their families to their lives nowadays, ``The Forgotten War, Korea’’ will remind both young and old viewers of the treacherous times and also the hope found after.
``The Forgotten War, Korea’’ airs June 22 and 23 at 8:30 p.m.
The following two days will see the Filipino film ``The Forgotten War’’ (2008). The movie is comprised of three separate episodes. They may be fiction, but they are all based on true stories from the Korean War (1950-53).
The first episode ``Steady On’’ shows two Filipino soldiers who were sent to Korea to fight the war, not knowing exactly why and how. The two come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, but realize the only way for them to survive is to ignore their differences and stick together until the end of the war. By talking about their families, the two become close and when they finally decide to become friends, they are attacked in the middle of the night.
The second episode ``Baptism of Fire’’ deals with a private who cannot fight because of his dyspnoea. He longs to go and fight, but is rejected and he spends grueling days doing laundry. Wishing he would be given the chance to fight like a man, the time finally comes when the commanding officer gives him a special mission.
The final episode ``Armistice’’ shows that war is not just about hatred and death, but also a place for love. A Filipino soldier befriends a girl called Jang, and after several encounters, they grow fond of each other. Just when they realize their feelings for each other, the soldier is sent to the battlefield.
``At a time when even Koreans have forgotten about the war, we hope viewers will get to think about the past 60 years and the problems we deal with today through the eyes of foreigners,’’ the network said through a press release.
``The Forgotten War’’ airs through June 23 and 24 at 8:30p.m.
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