Politics in mind at S. Korea film fest

With this year’s event opening to news of the peace initiative signed last week by North and South Korea — and with a number of politically charged films making their world premieres — there’s been no escaping the mood around town.

“Our festival focuses on film with high artistic values,” said festival director Kim Dong-ho. “And that is reflected in the subject matter of many of the films we screen.”

Chinese director Feng Xiaogang got things started on Thursday’s opening night with the first screening of his blockbuster “Assembly” — set in the 1948 civil war between Nationalist and Communists in his home country.

On Saturday, Korean director Kong Mi-yeun premiered her emotive documentary “Battlefield Calling”, which looks at the lives of Korean soldiers and how their opinions are affected by the conflicts they are exposed to.

“I began this project when I realised that for this generation, war is not something that happens to other people,” said Kong. “The battlefield is now a space that is very close to home.”

Kong’s film compares the political climate in Korea with that in Iraq and the Palestinian Territories, suggesting that constant threats to national security shape the way people look at the world.

“News this week has eased the pressure here in Korea, but we have heard this kind of thing before,” said Kong. “It remains to be seen if change will really occur.”

Her screening was followed by a lively discussion of both the film and current events between the director and festival-goers.

“The generation that is growing up now is very political in our thoughts,” said Bae Jung-hwa, who recently completed his compulsory military service.

“Before I went into the army I was not sure whether I would support military conflicts. But now my perspective has changed. If you see conflict, you know it can happen anywhere — no matter what the politicians say.”

University student June Sohn said she thought the film reflected the current mood in Korean society, as local troops have in recent years been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“A lot of us have friends who have gone overseas and have seen how this has changed them,” she said. “We are all hoping that the situation will change but mainly we don’t know what to believe.”

Kong said she was happy that her film had given her audience pause for thought and that she hoped the festival would continue to screen topical productions.

“I hope my film makes people think,” she said. “But as a film-maker you always need to find an audience, and this festival does a great job in helping people like me find that audience.”

Thousands of people have flocked to the seaside South Korean city of Busan for the 12th edition of the festival.

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