The compelling documentary, “Sewing Sisters”, is the perfect follow-up to Chun Tae-Il’s story from the Fantasia Film Festival and it further emphasizes the hardships factory workers endured in South Korea in the 1970s. 

The documentary follows the tragedy of Chun Tae-Il and focuses predominantly on a group of women who continued fighting for Labour Standards Laws to be respected and for their right to receive an education by fighting against authorities to keep the tailoring school open. I was personally very touched by their story and felt emotionally challenged on many occasions while listening to their experiences. It truly seems unfathomable to me today that women and men had to fight almost to death for simple decent human conditions to be met at their workplace. 

While watching this documentary, many questions came to mind about human decency, respect, women’s rights, inner strength, loss and never-ending hope. As a woman myself, I couldn’t help but feel triggered by what these women have said regarding how men in positions of authority treated them, which layers heavily above the inhumane treatment of them as factory workers. 

Although not easy to watch or listen to, I highly recommend taking two hours of your time to learn about a past not so distant from ours and incredible people who put their lives on the line to create the South Korea we see today. 

Thank you to the Korean Cultural Center for making this film available online.

 

#koreanmovie #kcinema #sewingsisters #koreanculturalcentercanada  

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