Korean festival directors unite in Jeonju to support Ukraine

At a press conference held on Friday (April 29) at Jeonju International Film Festival, festival directors who took to the stage included Jeonju’s Lee Joon-dong; Busan International Film Festival’s Huh Moonyung; Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival’s Kim Sang-hwa; DMZ International Documentary Film Festival’s Jung Sang-jin; Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival’s Shin Chul; Ulju Mountain Film Festival’s Baed Chang-ho; Jecheon International Music & Film Festival’s Cho Sungwoo; and Seoul International Women’s FF’s Park Kwangsoo.

They each read a portion of a joint statement, which was also signed by Gangneung International Film Festival and PyeongChang International Peace Film Festival.

“According to foreign news reports, filmmakers who had been recording the tragedy in Ukraine were killed by indiscriminate attacks committed by Russia,” said the statement.

“We honour the noble deaths of filmmakers including Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius and filmmaker and former New York Times reporter Brent Renaud, who supported Ukrainian citizens and stood against the war.”

The festival directors urged Russia to end its invasion, asked that the international community increase its humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and accept refugees, and encouraged the Korean government to take measures that would bring international peace. It also urged that “the safety and freedom of expression must be guaranteed for Ukrainian filmmakers who are recording the tragedy of war”.

Ukrainian actress Olena Sydorchuk and writer Maria Chernozhukova also attended the event, delivering emotional statements calling for the end of the conflict.

Sydorchuk stars in short film One’s Family Gravesite, directed by Jung Hyungsuk and selected for Jeonju’s Korean Cinema section. Delivering her statement in Korean, she said: “It is difficult for some to recognise the truth, with the prevalence of Russian propaganda, but documentaries will help show the truth.”

The event was followed by a screening of Ukrainian director Alina Gorlova’s No Obvious Signs, a drama documentary from 2018 in which a woman battles PTSD and panic attacks in the wake of a war.

Jeonju designated the third day (April 30) of this year’s festival as Ukraine Day, screening a series of films such as Babi Yar. Context and Mr Landsbergis by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, which explore the history of the country and life before the war, as well as Kateryna Gornostai, Stop-Zemlia.