Sorry, Dokdo (Movie - 2008)

Dokdo PR, documentary style

Source | 2008/12/30 | 0 comments | Permalink |

'Cultural content is powerful enough to let the world know that the islets belong to Korea'.

Korea has no shortage of sensitive social issues, but it does suffer from a lack of documentaries that probe those touchy topics.

But director Choi Hyeon-mook, in his film "Sorry, Dokdo", faces one of the most controversial issues of all. The film comes out today in some 100 theaters across the nation.

The documentary focuses on a set of rocky islets in the East Sea that are the source of much strife between neighbors Korea and Japan. Korea, which controls the islets, calls them Dokdo. Japan also lays claim to Dokdo, but calls it Takeshima.

Seo Kyoung-duk, a self-proclaimed "freelance Korean public relations expert" who has published advertisements about Korea in major international newspapers such as The New York Times, produced the film. Singer and philanthropist Kim Jang-hoon stepped in as narrator.

"I don't want the film to be seen as political or patriotic", said Choi, "but ...| More

[MOVIE REVIEW] First film dedicated to Dokdo

Source | 2008/12/24 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Dokdo, a group of islets in the East Sea, is a deeply emotional issue for Koreans. Whenever Japan claims its territorial rights to Dokdo, the Korean press, civic groups and individuals are quick to express their anger. But a territorial dispute cannot be resolved with emotions only, a theme that is painfully explored by "Sorry, Dokdo", the first Korean film dedicated to Dokdo.

Directed by Choi Hyeon-mook, the documentary shows how meticulously Japan has been taking steps to claim its sovereignty over what it calls Takeshima. Choi makes a claim that Japanese authorities and scholars have been producing a growing body of official documents and scholarly research while Korean counterparts neglect amassing academic evidence.

For Koreans, Dokdo is clearly a Korean territory. After all, two Korean citizens -- Kim Seong-do and his wife Kim Shin-yeol -- are actually living on the islets along with a group of Korean police guards -- and a Korean dog named "Jikimi" ("guardian" in English)....| More

Dokdo Documentary to Be Released

Source | 2008/12/16 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

The Dokdo islets in the East Sea have triggered continuous controversy between Korea and Japan regarding sovereignty. The islets have been out of the news recently, but they return this month with documentary film " Sorry, Dokdo".

Slated for release on Dec. 31, director Choi Hyeon-mook, producer Seo Kyoung-duk and narrator/singer Kim Jang-hoon got together recently at Lotte Cinema near Konkuk University to explain how they brought the islets to life in the 98-minute documentary film.

"First of all, I can't believe we have come this far. It was hard just to set foot on the islands, as the weather was so foggy most of the time. We also had to find people who really loved Dokdo and listen to their stories. Nothing was easy, but it paid off", Choi said at a press conference Monday.

Unlike the aggressive rallies and chants witnessed on the news, the movie is subtle yet straightforward. As a documentary, it takes viewers to the islets and shows ho...| More

Dokdo movie poster sparks controversy

Source | 2008/12/11 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The cluster of contentious islets in the East Sea have become the subject of a new documentary called, "I'm sorry, Dokdo", which will premiere at the end of this month.

The documentary chronicles the efforts of ordinary citizens tirelessly promoting the rocky islets as territories of Korea.

This is the first documentary to tackle the subject of the hotly contested islets. Production began 17 months ago and has post-production has recently been finished.

Singer and celebrity activist Kim Jang-hoon's role as narrator has sparked media interest in the project. Kim made headlines earlier this year when he funded a full page ad in the New York Times newspaper promoting Dokdo as Korean territory.

Produced by PR guru Seo Gyeong-deok and directed by Choi Hyeon-mook, the project recently became embroiled in controversy due to its poster, which was deemed exploitative by the Korea Media Rating Board as trying to provoke anti-Japan sentiment in Koreans.

The movie poster depicts the...| More