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15th DMZ Docs(2023)

I AM DOCU



Wolsong: Vanishing Town

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NAM Taejae, KIM Seonghwan

  • Korea
  • 2019
  • 83min
  • G
  • DCP
  • color

Synopsis

For 30 years, Hwang Munhee has lived near the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, which is responsible for half of South Korea's nuclear waste production. After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and witnessing her grandson's exposure to high levels of radiation, she demands action from both Korea Hydro&Nuclear Power and the government, urging them to develop a relocation plan. Hwang initiates a class-action lawsuit and joins forces with other thyroid cancer patients. The group includes Oh Sunja, who herds goats under the transmission tower of the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, and a diver who lives near Daebon Port. Together, they seek accountability from the nuclear power plant and aim to shed light on the radiation issue and its consequences.  

Review

 Nuclear power plants, nuclear waste disposal sites, and treatment and management facilities. Almost every type of facility related to nuclear power is concentrated in the Wolsung area. While the government and the plant's operator, the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company, constantly reiterated the safety of the plant, the residents live in fear. People living near the plant have begun to develop cancer and other diseases. Director Nam Taejae, who has been covering the dangers of nuclear power for many years, worked with director Kim Seonghwan to complete the investigative documentary Wolsung: Vanishing Town. Along with highlighting the dangers of nuclear power plants and nuclear waste, one of the pillars of the film is the story of Hwang Bun-hee, an active participant in the movement to shut down nuclear power plants. Hwang, who also has thyroid cancer, has joined 618 other residents with the disease to file a lawsuit against the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company and demand relocation measures. What drives her is a sense of responsibility for future generations, including her grandchildren. At the beginning of the film, the fight is centered on residents who live within one kilometer of the nuclear plant, but as the film progresses, the distance gradually increases. In the end, it's not just them, but the whole of South Korea that has a problem with the nuclear power plant.

Director

  • NAM Taejae

    Nam began his documentary career with Mayday in 1997, focusing on a rock and roll band. He directed various documentaries, including School (2003). From 2015, Nam joined the Newstapa, a Korean independent newsroom contributing to the Witnesses series. Notably, he directed about 30 investigative documentaries on environmental, nuclear, and labor issues over five years.

  • KIM Seonghwan

    Kim dedicated his twenties to crafting shorts and documentaries for Purn Production. After his debut work, Donggangeun Heureunda (1999), Kim went on to direct documentaries such as Dream of Jong Tae Kim (2002) and Save the Sungmi Mountain (2003). He also played a part in the collaborative creation and production of works such as Graduation (2018), Chul-kyu (2019), and Sura: A Love Song(2023). More recently, Kim added to his repertoire by directing the feature fictional film I Leave Home (2021).

Credit