Queer film festival banned
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Korea Freedom of speech campaigns have intensified, since the regime repressed two September film festivals dealing with homosexuality and with human rights.
The Ist Seoul Queer Film and Video Festival was banned on September 19, two weeks before it was due to open. According to Festival Director Seo Dongjin, "The local government of the Soedaemun district in Seoul threatened to contiscate the projection equipment and the films, to fine us two million won (US$22,000), and to jail us for three years.
"However, they are not the only authority involved in this situation. If you want to hold a film festival in Korea, you must get your films passed by the national censors first. And censorship laws and regulations forbid the screening of any films
On Saturday 27 September, South Korea's new Human Rights Film Festival was due to open. University authorities cut the electricity. Opening night went ahead with a video screening, powered by a portable generator. The government surrounded the university with up to 1,000 riot troops during every evening of the festival. Two members of the Hongik University Student Union that co-hosted the festival were arrested.
In a related event, the Pusan International Film Festival in October gave only "restricted" screenings, closed to the ordinary public, for Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together. The gay-themed movie has already been banned from public release in Korea.
According to Australian cinema studies lecturer Chris Berry, "in its first year last year the Pusan Festival established a strong reputation partly because it was one of the few uncensored film festivals in Asia." * Contact: 1st Seoul Queer Film and Video Festival, Nakwon-dong 195-1, Midong Bd #301, Chongno-ku, Seoul, ROK Korea, tel:82-2-766-5626, fax: 82-2-7660598, e-mail: "queer21 @interpia.net". Source: Cine 21 film magazine, Seoul, South Korea.
about homosexuality.
"Actually, we did try to find a way to open our festival legally. We submitted