Private Project

The Stars Know

This film takes a look back one year after the Itaewon crowd crush disaster focusing the bereaved families action to find the truth. The worst situation comes after the disaster.

On 29th of Oct. 2022, 159 people disappeared in an instant in a stampede in Itaewon, Seoul. Itaewon, with its diverse culture, is a place where people come every year to enjoy the Halloween festival.

After the disaster it was revealed that the government was responsible for failing to manage the crowds despite predicting that many people would gather The UN Human Rights Committee also expressed regret to the South Korean government that “a comprehensive and independent investigation was not conducted to determine the cause of the incident and that effective relief was not provided to the victims.”

However, even after one year, the state continues to place responsibility for the disaster on the victims. The bereaved families came out to the square to resolve the injustice suffered by the victims of the Itaewon disaster. They are coming out onto the streets where the victims left and shouting for the truth of the tragedy to be revealed.

  • Ohyeon Kwon
    Director
  • Gawon Jung
    Producer
  • Ohyeon Kwon
    Writer
  • Hoseon Shin
    Photography
  • Ohyeon Kwon
    Editing
  • Gawon Jung
    Editing
  • Jungju Choi
    Music
  • Yeram
    Music
  • 10. 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families
    Key Cast
  • 10. 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association
    Production
  • 1029 Itaewon Disaster Citizens' Action Groups
    Production
  • Minha Kang
    Publicity & Global screening
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Byeoreun Algoitda
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 11 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 16, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Korea, Republic of
  • Country of Filming:
    Korea, Republic of
  • Language:
    Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 37th NCCK Award
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    December 8, 2023
    Human rights award by NCCK (National Council of Churches in Korea)
  • 12th Annual Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival

    United States
    July 26, 2024
    International Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Ohyeon Kwon

Ohyeon is a documentary filmmaker based in Seoul, South Korea, who completed her studies in documentary filmmaking at the Korean National University of Arts. Her work primarily focuses on contemporary political issues.
In 2022, Ohyeon co-directed her first short documentary, titled "Teleporting," in collaboration with Japanese filmmakers. The documentary explores feminist themes, providing an international perspective on the subject.
In 2023, she released her first feature-length documentary, "The Stars Know," which follows the stories of families affected by the Itaewon disaster as they seek social justice.

<Teleporting>, Short Documentary, 2022
- 2022 DMZ international documentary film festival
- 2023 Hot Docs canadian documentary film festival
<The Stars Know>, Feature Documentary, 2023

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This documentary takes a look back one year after the Itaewon crowd crush disaster focusing the bereaved families activity to the truth.