Festival:
The 9th DMZ Docs
Dates:
September 21-28
About:
Held near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, this annual South Korean documentary event presents more than 60 features with the aim to champion dialogue, coexistence, and peace.
The festival opens with the world premiere of OLD MARINE BOY (pictured), a portrait of a North Korean defector turned deep-sea diver, the sophomore feature by Jin Mo-young (MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER). Fellow Korean world premieres include several competition entries: Raya’s LONG FAREWELL, about the residents of an apartment complex slated for demolition; Oh Jung-hun’s RICE FLOWER, which chronicles one growing cycle; Kim Hyoung-ju’s ROADSHOW, following Korean artists to Rwanda; and Kim Sang-kyu’s TO KILL ALICE, in which a South Korean woman experiences a change after visiting North Korea.
Remaining competitive sections include the Asian Competition, which includes Ota Shingo’s ROCKIN’ ‘N’ ROLLIN’ ON WELFARE (pictured), which follows the efforts of a down-on-his-luck Japanese man to reunite his brothers in their rock band after 40 years; Pan Zhiqi’s 24TH STREET, about a Chinese man facing relocation and his past mistakes; and Uma Tanuku and Anupama Chandra’s THE BOOKS WE MADE, about the women behind India’s first feminist publishing house; and the International Competition, with Lee Il-ha’s COUNTERS, about grassroots efforts to counter Japan’s far-right extremist groups; and Adam Luxton and Summer Agnew’s ON AN UNKNOWN BEACH, a meditative essay following three unconnected explorers.
Non-Competitive sections include the Korean Docs Showcase, offering Sun Ho-bin’s portrait of family discord, MYEONEURI: MY SON’S CRAZY WIFE; Kim Bo-ram’s portrait of a community through a neighborhood dog, BEAK-GU (pictured); Ma Min-ji’s profile of her parent’s real estate fortunes and woes, FAMILY IN THE BUBBLE; and Hyun Young-ae’s look at 1980s Korean glam rock, GLAM OUR: I WANT ZERO.G; and Global Vision, which includes Raja Shabir Khan’s LINE OF CONTROL, about life on a village divided between India and Pakistan; and John Torres’ PEOPLE POWER BOMBSHELL: THE DIARY OF VIETNAM ROSE, recounting the story of a Filipino filmshoot that was interrupted by the 1986 revolution.
what (not) to doc 