Fantasia International Film Festival 2022
The tale of Chun Tae-Il
The 2022 Fantasia Film Festival is currently being held in Montreal from July 14th until August 3rd, 2022.
This year’s Korean productions are quite impressive and amongst a wide array of choices, I selected three films to go see.
The first one is a Korean animation by director Hong Jun-pyo, titled “Chun Tae-Il: a flame that lives on”. This is a very well-known tale with Korean audiences as it is based on real events that took place in the 1960s in South Korea. The animation was incredibly well received by the public in attendance and the director received many questions following the screening.
The tale of Chun Tae-Il is very powerful and left me pondering many aspects of life and choices that we each make on an individual level; choices about the sacrifice of self versus how others view sacrifice.
Directed by Hong Jun-pyo
Image courtesy of imdb.com
Proudly part of the 2022 Honorary Reporter Program
Chun Tae-Il was a young boy who lived in South Korea in the 1960s when working conditions were dire and poverty high. He was taught tailoring skills by his alcoholic father who ran a family business until that was taken away from them. The family eventually moved to Seoul where they hoped for new opportunities and a better life. Tae-Il secured a position in a sewing factory (a sweatshop) where he quickly got promoted to tailor which meant he was overseeing other workers, predominantly women. While he was there he began to notice the working conditions at the factory: the seamstresses had no days off, they worked more hours than legally allowed and barely made any money. There was no ventilation in the shops which led to increased illnesses of workers who then received no compensation or job guarantee. In his efforts to make a change, he came across the Labour Standards book and realized that none of what was listed was actually respected by employers or even acknowledged in the job market. His dream was to create a working environment that was respectful of its employees but also fun. He gathered supporters in his quest to make a difference but often his efforts fell on deaf ears from the higher-ups. His persistence to make a change culminated in a shocking act that is now part of history.
I was truly touched by this story, that I had no known prior to watching this animation. Sadly, this story carries many connotations that can still be applied to today’s work environments. The director of the film said that he believes many of us know of a Chun Tae-Il in our lives or have at least encountered one person like him. I can attest to that from my own personal experience.
It takes one powerful voice to carry an entire song and Chun Tae-Il was that voice that changed South Korea’s labour standards and practices from then until now.
If you get the chance to watch this animation, please do so. It is truly wonderfully done both from a technical animation aspect, as well as directorial finesse, as it seamlessly encapsulates a strong message in a way that appeals to all audiences.
Congratulations to Director Hong Jun-pyo for this work.
Lastly, thank you to the KCC Team for being present at the screening and for promoting this film and its story.
If you are interested in any film screenings at the festival, please see the link below: https://fantasiafestival.com/en/
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