Hands without guns

2003

Feature 7

Kim Hwan tae | 2003| Documentary | DV 6mm | Color | 68min

SYNOPSIS

Dec.7, 2001, the Korean society fell into the perplexing bewilderment caused by the refusal to be drafted into the South Korea Army, which was declared conscientiously by Oh Tae Yang, a Buddhist adherent. Camera(I was the narrator) runs after the Oh's agony and the movement of civil society. Meeting Yu Hogeun, Im Chiyun, Na Donghyuk, Kim Dohyung, I came to experience the various forms of refusal to be drafted into army, based on the political, Buddhist and pacifist faith, other then the faith of Jehovah's witness which is founded on the Christian pacifism. And the camera recall the picture of severe suppression which has been inflicted upon human rights of Jehovah's witness under the cloak of national security for past 60 years and then it is to keep record of the lives of Jehovah's witness. Finally, the people who gathered in the day of world's Conscientious Objectors, give their words to the faith and conscience in harmony with the mind of respecting the peace and life.

DIRECTING INTENTION

I happened to keep a record of the rejection of military service very strange and peculiar though, after I heard the news of a young man who declared one December 2001. The so-called conscientious objection of military service was something hard for me to understand since I was an ordinary male man who fulfilled the duty, at the same time governed by thorough mentality of Christianity. The reason I could not understand him was perhaps due to the deeply rooted prejudice or distortion which has kept even me from the freedom of mind. However, through meeting those people who are from different social backgrounds and political positions. I began to feel myself changing little by little, sensing the invisible codes, values, violence and prejudice instilled into my soul by state. Through the discourse of candid and open people who are without lethal arm, I hope you can have a chance to think how many things so far have been forced to be excluded and tabooed in the name of nation and power, trying to set 'the same' and 'the difference' on the same dimension of discourse

DIRECTOR
Kim Hwan tae

Kim Hwan tae

2000 <평화의 시대>  
2001 <내 친구 경대>,  <1991년 1학년>
2003 <나와 부엉이>,  <총을 들지 않는 사람들
STAFF

Director Kim Hwan-Tae
Assistant Director Lee Hyo-Jin
Music Lee Ji-Eun Screen
Writer Kim Hwan-Tae, Choi Jung-Min