When a documentary opened on the deep sea divers who retrieved around 300 bodies, mostly schoolchildren, from a South Korean ferry disaster, tickets sold out — but it played to half-empty cinemas.
This photo taken on February 8, 2017 shows film distributor Kim Il-Kwon posing for a photo on a street outside his office in Seoul. Kim was one of thousands of artists secretly blacklisted by the conservative government for voicing “left-wing” thoughts — meaning criticism of the authorities. The government blacklist was aimed at starving artists of official subsidies and private funding and placing them under state surveillance, according to prosecutors probing the sprawling South Korean corruption and power abuse scandal that has brought millions of people onto the streets and seen President Park Geun-Hye impeached. Photo from AFP.
SEOUL, South Korea – When a documentary opened on the deep sea divers who retrieved around 300 bodies, mostly schoolchildren, from a South Korean ferry disaster, tickets sold out — but it played to half-empty cinemas.
There was no indication at the time, but “Diving Bell” — about the controversial 2014 sinking of the Sewol — was a victim of the sprawling South Korean corruption and power abuse scandal that has brought millions of people onto the streets and seen President Park Geun-Hye impeached.
The film’s distributor Kim Il-Kwon was one of thousands of artists secretly blacklisted by the conservative government for voicing “left-wing” thoughts — meaning criticism of the authorities.
“I was so surprised” by the vacant seats, he told AFP. “The movie was the talk of the town and many people had showed interest before its release.”
The explanation emerged last month, when former culture minister Cho Yoon-Sun was arrested over accusations including ordering bulk ticket purchases in a bid to prevent the public seeing “Diving Bell”.
The government blacklist was aimed at starving artists of official subsidies and private funding and placing them under state surveillance, according to prosecutors probing the wider scandal.
Its existence has sent shivers across the country’s filmmakers, who say it took a devastating toll on the freedom of expression that helped transform what was once an army-ruled backwater into a celebrated cultural powerhouse.
South Korea is now democratic but many describe the cultural landscape under Park as reminiscent of the 1961-79 reign of her own father, the late dictator Park Chung-Hee, who imposed ruthless censorship on the arts.
