60 years ago, the Korean War ravaged the Korean peninsula. On June 25th, 1950 – two years after the partition of the peninsula into North and South Korea – an army of 100,000 North Korean soldiers crossed the border, catching their southern neighbours completely off guard. These soldiers marched on the orders of Kim Il-sung, a former Korean resistance member during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and North Korea’s head of state. His plan was an effective one. North Korea’s surprise attack quickly devastated the south, and in only 4 months, most of South Korea was under Kim Il-sung’s control. Despite the fact that South Korea’s army received help from U.N. forces – many of whom were Canadian – by September 1950, only the regions surrounding Pusan remained under South Korea’s control. Then, a bold strategy was initiated by the international forces defending the south. A major counterattack led primarily by American forces was launched. This counter offensive succeeded in repelling the communist forces back, not just to their own border, but all the way back to North Korea’s border with China. Anxious over the proximity of the U.N. forces, China joined the fray in defence of their North Korean allies, and managed to push the U.N. forces back to the pre-war border that split the peninsula, even going so far as to capture Seoul. By this point, the threat of a third World War loomed nigh. Legendary American general Douglas MacArthur lobbied publicly for the initiation of a major offensive against China, fervently advocating the use of nuclear weapons. These suggestions were extremely dangerous since Russia and China were more than able to respond to a nuclear assault. Thus, MacArthur’s views cost him his job. Nonetheless, the world was on the brink of nuclear warfare. After years of constant bloodshed, the front eventually stabilized in 1952, and an armistice was signed on July 27th 1953. Yet despite the armistice, relations between North and South Korean remain tense to this day.
The Korean War left a countless number of victims. Millions died over the course of the conflict, many of whom were civilians. One of the most disturbing and tragic episodes of the conflict took place in a small village called Nogunri, which is located at the center of South Korea. There, from July 26th to the 29th 1950 (60 years ago exactly), the entire population of the village was massacred. Surprised and confused by the ferocity of the North Korean onslaught, the international forces ordered the villagers to head south for refuge. During this process, the international forces slaughtered the villagers, mistakenly believing them to be North Korean soldiers disguised as civilians. For three days, the villagers took cover under a bridge, hoping to shield themselves from the bombs and bullets being launched at them by their supposed protectors. Hundreds of innocents died horribly under that bridge.
For the survivors and the families of the victims, powerlessness and grief were eventually replaced by rage and incomprehension, since, by all official accounts, the events at Nogunri never happened. To this day, the United States still refuses to assume any responsibility for its part in this tragic chapter of Korean history. South Korea’s government on the other hand does acknowledge it, if only grudgingly. These refusals are made all the more conspicuous by the fact that the Associated Press received the only Pulitzer Prize in its history for a series of articles on the massacre published in 1999. In addition to this, several other works about the massacre – many of which were based on the first hand testimony of the survivors – have been published. At the very least, these have served to expose the history of these events to many who would have otherwise never known about them, and they have been used to garnish the script of A Little Pond.
A Little Pond is Lee Saang-woo’s first full length film. His depiction of the events at Nogunri is intimate, poetic, and infinitely captivating. The performances are shockingly believable. All this is made even more remarkable in light of the circumstances under which this film was produced. The government often opposed the film’s production, and money was hard to come by. Because of this, it took Saang-woo eight long and arduous years to complete this project. The result however, is a visceral and thoughtful work that stays with you long after you’ve seen it. More importantly, it is a powerful and resounding cry against the injustice of forgetfulness. Films such as this will always be invaluable.
It’s important for us to highlight the fact that many Canadians fought in the Korean War. We want to commemorate them for the courage they displayed in this chapter of our history. And to the families of the fallen, I would like you to know that you can rest assured that to this day, many South Koreans thank Canadian tourists for the sacrifices made by their brethren.
- Nicolas Archambeault
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A Little Pond plays Sunday July 25th at 21h30 and Monday July 26 at 5:30pm in the salle J.A. De Sève. More information on the film page HERE.
