The Lens of the Democracy

The true events of May 18 are revealed within 1,073 undisclosed photos. On May 27, 1980, martial law troops used guns and tanks to suppress the citizen militia, who were protesting for democratization. In front of the YMCA, a member of the citizen militia, Kim Jong-yeon (then 19 years old), fell to the bullets of the martial law troops. This event marked the first photographed instance of a killing during this brutal suppression. Through these undisclosed photos, we encounter the story of Jo Young-woon (then 9 years old), who confirmed his forced abduction by the martial law troops, and the poignant story of a mother who discovered the last image of her missing son, Lee Chang-hyeon (then 7 years old). These truths were held within the photos for 43 years.

  • Jae-hyung KIM
    Director
  • Moo-sung Kim
    Producer
  • Seong-yong Park
    Producer
  • Franois Lochon
    Key Cast
    "photojournalist"
  • Patrick Chauvel
    Key Cast
    "photojournalist"
  • Ji-sang Kim
    Director of Photography
  • Sung-beom Ha
    Director of Photography
  • Hyun-chul Lee
    Director of Photography
  • Jung -wook Jo
    Director of Photography
  • Seung-woo Jin
    Location manager in Paris
  • 5.18 Mother's Association
    Filming cooperation
  • 5.18 Democratization Movement Truth Investigation Committee
    Filming cooperation
  • Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Promotion Team
    Filming cooperation
  • Asian Culture Center
    Filming cooperation
  • Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju Justice and Peace Commission
    Filming cooperation
  • The Hankyoreh
    Filming cooperation
  • National Assembly Library
    Filming cooperation
  • Chonnam National University Central Library
    Filming cooperation
  • Chosun University Central Library
    Filming cooperation
  • Jeonil Building 245
    Filming cooperation
  • Kwon Jeong-saeng Children's Cultural Foundation
    Filming cooperation
  • Gilbutkid
    Filming cooperation
  • Leeleenam Studio
    Filming cooperation
  • May 18th National Cemetery
    Filming cooperation
  • Seung-min Kim
    Sound Master
  • Eun-woong Kim
    Sound Effects
  • Taek-hwan Lee
    Sound Effects
  • Kyu-beom Lee
    Sound Effects
  • Hyo-jin Park
    Sound Effects
  • Yu-mi Lee
    Music
  • Hyun-joo Kim
    Music Composer
  • Jong-in Park
    Editor
  • Ji-sang Kim
    Color correction
  • Dae-yoon Kim
    Title production
  • Sun-mi Cho
    NLE
  • Jae-hyung Hyeong
    NLE
  • Gwangju French Cultural Center Alliance Française
    French Interpretation/ Translation
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Television
  • Genres:
    Journalism, Gwangju Democratization Movement, Democratic movement, Photo Journalist
  • Runtime:
    49 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 18, 2023
  • 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:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 13th May 18 Press Award
    Gwangju
    Korea, Republic of
    August 9, 2023
    Winner at TV documentary section
  • Good Reporting of the Month Award
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    June 30, 2023
    Granprix
Distribution Information
  • KBS Media
    Sales Agent
    Country: Korea, Republic of
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Jae-hyung KIM

Kim Jae-hyung / October 20, 1992

He joined KBS in 2018 and intensively covered the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. He aimed to convey the developments that occurred in the local community and cover the local news. He directed "Korea On Stage - Jindo Ul-lim-san-bang (2020)", "Do You Want to Go with Me? (2020)", and "Do You Want to Shoot with Unni? (2022)".

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement was a stepping stone for democracy in South Korea. A picture of a child holding a portrait of his father became an icon of this movement. Who took this photograph? This expos, which started from a simple question, resulted in the finding of 1,073 never before seen photographs, revealing the story of a different past. Franois Lochon and Patrick Chauvel, two french photojournalists, travel back to Gwangju to revisit those events that happened 43 years ago. We follow them on a journey to reconstruct the truth of what really happened, by hearing from the victims that they identify in the photographs.