KWON Oh Yeon
On October 29 of last year, the neon-lit streets of Itaewon were engulfed by the red glow of dozens of ambulances. Even before the funerals of all the victims had taken place, a strange memorial was set up in front of Seoul City Hall consisting of nothing more than pure white Chrysanthemums and a plaque that read ¡®Victims of the Itaewon Accident.¡¯ This empty memorial was a staged performance to encourage obliviousness, not mourning. To resist being pushed into oblivion, the families of the victims walked the snow-covered streets of Itaewon wearing bright red scarves. For us, the Itaewon tragedy is not over.
This documentary follows the progress of the ¡®1029 Itaewon Tragedy Bereaved Family Council,¡¯ which seeks truth and reconciliation surrounding the events of that night. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the government declared a ¡®mourning period,¡¯ but in reality, evaded all responsibility during the national investigation and even prevented bereaved families from contacting each other. The journey for truth begins once these families find each other in scattered mortuaries and funeral homes. They continue their desperate struggle by holding vigils, marching 159km, and fasting. It is hoped that their stories will ignite society to remember this tragedy before it becomes a scattered memory.
KWON Oh Yeon