The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 marked a moment of unprecedented material destruction and cultural rupture in modern Japan. The disaster soon became subject to human interpretation and political manipulation as the earth tremors and subsequent fire produced not only physical chaos but also the rumors and violence against Koreans revealing what was fearful and why. After a century, this documentary reconstructs the course of this mayhem against the colonized, and traces the ways in which the story of this genocidal violence has long been covered up, haunting those whose lives were never the same after encountering the forbidden truth.
The screening will be introduced by historian and UIUC alum Dr. Jinhee Lee (Creative Producer of "1923 Kanto Massacre" and History Professor/Asian Studies Chair, Eastern Illinois University). Dr. Matt Winters, Director of CEAPS will moderate the discussion and a Q&A with the film's Creative Producer afterwards.
Title: 1923 Kanto Massacre (1923 간토대학살; 1923関東大虐殺)
Directors: KIM Tae-yeong and CHOI Gyu-seog
Year: 2024
Duration: 116 min.
Country: Korea
Language: Japanese, Korean, English
Subtitles: English
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