Isang Yun Inbetween North and South Korea

Documentarian Maria Stodtmeier presents a heartfelt tribute to Isang Yun (1917–1995)—a composer born in what is now South Korea—who settled in Germany after the Korean War, where he actively promoted the reunification of his homeland, a mission that led him to visit North Korea in 1963. That trip later resulted in his 1967 abduction by South Korean agents, followed by nearly two years of imprisonment on espionage charges until international pressure brought about his release, although his official rehabilitation in South Korea did not occur until more than a decade after his death. Stodtmeier covers all of this in a biographical sketch based on archival sources and observations from scholars and colleagues, while also providing an appreciative introduction to Yun's large corpus of work: avant-garde compositions that combine Western influences with East Asian elements. Stodtmeier's film argues that the cross-cultural character of the music mirrors Yun's lifelong efforts to bridge the divide between the two Koreas—a personal crusade that wound up drawing charges of collaboration with the repressive regime of Kim Il-sung, but has recently made him one of the few figures admired by North and South (confirmed in interviews with musicians and citizens on both sides of the DMZ). While sometimes repetitive, the documentary successfully brings wider recognition to a talented composer who also adopted a remarkably courageous political stand. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)