Korean filmmaker Mun Jeong-hyun's haunting documentary Grandmother's Flower examines post-World War II chaos in a country divided along hostile political lines, as seen through the lens of the director's tumultuous family history. Mun's grandfather, who fought the Japanese occupiers, embraced Communism and sided with North Korea when war broke out in 1950, but was later arrested and tortured in prison when his village became part of South Korea. Mun's grand-uncle also had a tragic run-in with the police—fatally shot by an officer who turned out to be a friend of the family. Mun's parents offer their own version of political divisions in a painfully uncomfortable segment in which mother and father sit together while discussing political agendas that are miles apart (viewers with some previous knowledge of modern Korean history will better understand the deep political rifts running throughout this family chronicle). Combining substantial interviews with archival photos, Grandmother's Flower offers invaluable insights into contemporary Korea's struggle to move beyond the dark periods of Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War, and subsequent division of the country. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Grandmother's Flower
(2008) 89 min. In Korean w/English subtitles. DVD: $59.95: public libraries & high schools; $225: colleges & universities. Third World Newsreel. PPR. Volume 24, Issue 2
Grandmother's Flower
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