We continue with our list of feature documentaries you shouldn’t miss at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival which will take place from September 14 -21, 2023 in Goyang and Paju, Korea.

To see the first part of this article please go HERE

Man in Black by WANG Bing – France, UK, USA | 2023 – 60 minutes | Asian Premiere
The film is a portrait of 86 years old Wang Xilin, one of China??s most important modern classical composers now based in Germany. During the troubled time of the 60??s, he was the target of severe persecution, enduring beatings, imprisonment and torture. The film exhibits the body and soul of a man scarred by a life of suffering, who is yet still capable of deep and sincere compassion. With excerpts from his Symphonies, he revisits some of the horrifying events that still live on in his memory. (DMZDocs 2023)

Clip:

Oryu Market by CHOI Jong-ho – Korea | 2023 – 65 minutes | World Premiere
For over four decades, Young-dong and Hyo-sook have run a rice cake shop in Oryu market in Guro. More than a decade ago, however, developers arrived on the scene, forcing many merchants out and leaving only a handful behind. Despite the merchants’ collective desire to preserve the essence of traditional markets, the development process has been incremental. Frustrated, they finally take to the streets to voice their concerns aloud. (DMZDocs 2023)

Queendom by Agniia GALDANOVA – USA, France | 2023 – 98 minutes | Asian Premiere
Gena, a queer artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes made from junk and tape, and protests the government on the streets of Moscow. Born and raised on the harsh streets of Magadan, a frigid outpost of the Soviet gulag, Gena is only 21. She stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism. By doing that, she wants to change people’s perception of beauty and queerness and bring attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. The performances — often dark, strange, evocative, and queer at their core — are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious. But they come at a price. (DMZDocs 2023)

Trailer:

Songs of Angry People by Uruphong RAKSASAD – Thailand | 2023 – 90 minutes | World Premiere
Documentary film chronicling the protests in Thailand between 2020 and 2022 shortly after the accession of the country’s new head of state. It is an uprising of people from all sectors, especially students, against the use of power by the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Prime Minister, which has come from the coup. There is mismanagement of the country and abuse of power in dealing with political dissidents. This includes the arrest of internationally recognized Thai political activists. (DMZDocs 2023)

Spy Nation by CHOI Seung-ho – Korea | 2016 – 104 minutes
Yu Woosung, a public official based in Seoul, is a Korean-Chinese defector who fled North Korea in 2012. But his life takes a drastic turn when the National Intelligence Service accuses him of espionage, citing his sister’s confession as evidence. The National Intelligence Service has long played a central role in wielding state power and combating perceived threats from the North. But what if their accusations are unfounded? Journalist Choi Seung-ho casts doubt on the National Intelligence Service and takes action to uncover the truth. Ultimately, in October 2015, the Supreme Court exonerates Yoo of charges related to violating the National Security Act, effectively clearing his name. (DMZDocs 2023)

Trailer:

Sukhavati by SUN Hobin, NA Baru – Korea | 2023 – 102 minutes | World Premiere
RED, a support group of LG Cheetahs, a football club in Anyang, faced the heartbreak of losing their club due to relocation. RED’s fervent struggle began and has continued for nine years. As a result of RED’s persistent efforts, FC Anyang was born and now has an imminent opportunity to ascend to the first division of the K-League, symbolizing a chance for revenge. (DMZDocs 2023)

The Buriti Flower by João SALAVIZA, Renée NADER MESSORA – Portugal, Brazil | 2023 – 125 minutes | Korean Premiere
Through her child’s eyes, Patpro will go through three periods of the history of her indigenous people, in the heart of the Brazilian forest. Tirelessly persecuted, but guided by their ancestral rites, their love of nature and their fight to preserve their freedom, the Krahô never stop inventing new forms of resistance. (DMZDocs 2023)

Trailer:

The Eternal Memory by Maite ALBERDI – Chile | 2023 – 85 minutes | Korean Premiere
Augusto Góngora, a veteran Chilean journalist and prominent chronicler of the crimes of the Pinochet regime, and Paulina Urrutia, actress, activist and politician, have been a tight-knit loving couple for over 20 years. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago, and now they both face the inexorable and accelerating descent of his physical and mental powers together. Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, the story of Paulina’s warm and uncompromising dedication and Augusto’s fierce fight to hold on to his identity is a deeply affecting testimony to their love.

THE ETERNAL MEMORY is both an inquiry into human dignity in old age and adversity and into the mechanisms of individual and collective remembrance. What – and who – do we recall from our past? Why do we forget or suppress certain memories, and what effect does this have, on a person as well as on an entire country?​ (DMZDocs 2023)

Trailer:

The Human Surge 3 by Eduardo WILLIAMS – Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, Netherlands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Peru | 2023 – 121 minutes | Asian Premiere
Different groups of friends wander in a rainy, windy, dark world. They spend time together, trying to get away from their depressing jobs, meandering constantly towards the mystery of new possibilities. (DMZDocs 2023)

Theater of Thought by Werner HERZOG – USA | 2022 – 108 minutes | Korean Premiere
Werner Herzog sets his sights on yet another mysterious landscape – the human brain – for clues as to why a hunk of tissue can produce profound thoughts and feelings while considering the philosophical, ethical, and social implications of fast-advancing neural technology. (DMZDocs 2023)

Trailer:

To see the first part of this article please go HERE

For more information, please visit: https://dmzdocs.com/eng/