Defectors

Now based in the United States, South Korean filmmaker Hyun kyung Kim grew up with the inherited burden of the Korean War, a conflict that left an indelible mark on her family and country. Over the years, her mother has compulsively filled the house with items she finds on the streets of Seoul – in order to want for nothing in case of a potential future conflict – while her veteran father devours books about the war. Hyun kyung Kim's encounter with a North Korean defector brings back family memories while mirroring the story of her grandfather, who likely stayed in the North when the country was divided. With rare emotion and sensitivity, the director confronts the impact of the war on several generations while revealing the weight it still exerts to this day. Part family portrait, part historical film and part quest for identity, Defectors offers a poignant perspective on the collective wound inflicted by the war and questions what it means to be separated from those you love.

Alice Riva