by ALEX HYUN | @ahyundarkb4dawn
editor@charactermedia.com
The Last Tear, a documentary film about Asian women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperial army, premiered at CGV Cinemas in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, just days ahead of the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan’s colonial rule.
Directed by Korean American filmmaker Christopher H.K. Lee, The Last Tear centers on the few surviving women who were forced to work as “comfort women,” as they’re euphemistically called, to Japanese soldiers during World War II. The film is co-produced by the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and the C.A.R.E. (Collect, Archive, Research, Exhibit) Project.
With a crew that consisted of some university students from both Korea and the United States, Lee traveled to various historical locations in South Korea, Japan, Korea and Taipei and spoke with museum professionals and experts on the subject.
Narrated and subtitled in English, the 52-minute film intercuts footage of the crew’s travels, interviews with the survivors and a moving “physical theatre” performance by dancer Kristine Vismane that illustrates the emotional history of the film’s primary interviewee, Park Suk-yi.
“Now into their 80s and 90s, these women are becoming weaker day by day and we believe that such traces of painful memories and tragic stories may never be healed,” the U.S.-Korea Institute said in a statement. “But by remembering them and embracing them, we will provide a step towards their ultimate closure.”
According to Lee, The Last Tear is targeted toward second generation and third generation Korean Americans as well as non-Korean audiences. The director also expressed hope that the older generation would appreciate the younger generation’s efforts to personally connect with the history behind the estimated 200,000 Asian women who were recruited to work in Japanese military brothels.
“It was a learning experience for me because I came to the United States when I was very young, so I didn’t know much about Korea’s history,” Lee said during a Q&A session at the film’s L.A. premiere. “We had 14 students working on the project. By doing this documentary, we learned about our cultural roots together. It’s all about discovery, and with mutual interest, we are able to discover the history together and experience it together.”
As the premiere came to an end, Lee shared one wish that Park Suk-yi had. She wished for people to stop labeling her as a comfort women, and see survivors as halmonis, or grandmas. A noble request, and one bereft of negative connotations.
Future screenings for the film will be shown at future film festivals, university campuses upon request. The next screening will be held at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Korea’s Liberation Day, which falls on Saturday, Aug. 15.
To learn more about The Last Tear, visit its official website or Facebook page.
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Featured image via Fading Away LLC
