May 1980 Revived on Screen... Five May 18 Films Together in One Place

Third-Floor Screening Room Open to All Citizens Throughout May

Expanding Documentary Photographs into Film to Foster Empathy

Films that document the month of May in Gwangju are coming together in one place. The May 18 Democratization Movement Archives will screen a series of "May Films" every day for a month in celebration of the commemorative week.

According to Gwangju City and other sources on May 4, the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives will operate the "May 18 Film Screening" event until May 31, in conjunction with the special exhibition "Gwangju 5·18: Urban Identity and Democracy." Screenings will take place every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the third-floor screening room of the archive, and admission is free for all citizens.

1980, Movie Posters of Roschon and Shobel. Provided by Gwangju City

The screening event is a program that expands the 5·18 documentary photographs, previously revealed in the exhibition, into film content. By adding narrative to the photo-focused exhibition, the program is designed to help viewers understand the events and their significance in a more multidimensional way. Five films will be screened sequentially each day, and depending on the film, each will be shown one to three times.

The films include: ▽Kim Gun ▽1980, Roschong and Schobel ▽May ▽The Girl from Yangnim-dong ▽It’s Okay—a total of five titles.

"Kim Gun" is a documentary that retraces the memories of May 18 by tracking the identity of a person captured in a photograph taken in Gwangju in May 1980. "1980, Roschong and Schobel" sheds light on Gwangju as recorded by foreign correspondents, following the photographer behind the "May 18 Little Mourner" photograph.

"May" reflects on May 1980 through a family's memories, while "The Girl from Yangnim-dong" is an animated film based on the oral history and drawings of a figure who was both a member of the civilian militia and an activist for culture and women's rights. "It’s Okay" depicts the experiences of citizens at the time through the story of a high school student who joined the civilian militia.

The archive stated that it aims to make the history and meaning of the May 18 Democratization Movement more accessible and expand public empathy through these screenings. Kim Hokyun, Director of the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives, said, "We hope this will serve as an opportunity for people to understand May 18 in a more familiar way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.