Itaewon

Three women - Sam Sook, Naki and Young Wha - have lived and worked in Itaewon’s red light district for over three decades. As they changed, so did Itaewon. Here director Kangyu Garam listens attentively to these true Itaewon-ers as they face the transformation of their neighborhood following the relocation of the nearby US Army base 70km outside of Seoul. Continuing from her impressive debut documentary feature My Father’s House (2011), Kangyu creates yet another compelling portrait of an almost forgotten place and people who are left behind; this time the film carefully reveals the unsettling connections between the warped narrative of international politics and the recent social history of Korea, all the while placing Samsook, Naki and Younghwa centre stage. Against a backdrop of old club buildings being shut down, we are invited to commemorate the her-stories of Itaewon.
(Source: LKFF2020)