Jeonbuk Women’s Film Festival unveils 10 films, including ‘Namtaeryeong’ — a hidden women’s revolt

Stories of solidarity weathering the waves of the times: ‘Drifting, Flexibly’

The 19th Jeonbuk Women’s Film Festival is coming to audiences during Gender Equality Week. Jeonbuk Women’s Organizations United said on the 26th that it will host ‘HeeHerRakRak (JoyHerJoyJoy)’ over three days, from Sept. 3 to 5, at Megabox Jeonju Gaeksa.

This year’s slogan is ‘Drifting, Flexibly.’ A total of 10 films will fill the screen with stories of women who carve out their own paths in a rapidly changing world, tend to one another’s wounds and build solidarity.

The opening film is director Kim Hyun-ji’s ‘Namtaeryeong.’ It vividly chronicles the fierce confrontation on Dec. 21, 2024, when farmers and women who had traveled to Seoul with tractors encountered a massive barrier at Namtaeryeong, the southern gateway to the capital, and tried to break through it in what became known as the ‘Battle of Namtaeryeong.’

On the festival’s second and third days, a diverse lineup of independent films will offer audiences a range of perspectives. Director Yoo Jae-in’s ‘The Way to Erase,’ director Yoo So-young’s ‘Gongsuni,’ director Jo Mi-hye’s ‘Today’s Curry’ and director Lee Yoo-jin’s ‘Ivan-ri Maggie Cheung,’ among other acclaimed works, will explore women’s daily lives and struggles with weight and depth.

The closing films are products of the region’s media ecosystem. ‘F Woman,’ directed by Jung Jun-young, and ‘Speaking Without Crying,’ directed by Shin Ji-wan, were created through education and community cinema school support programs run by Youngsimi at the Jeonju Citizen Media Center. They will close the festival. The films carry special significance because local women held the cameras themselves and completed their own stories.

Every film in the festival will be offered free of charge. Residents who wish to attend can reserve tickets in advance through the QR code on the official poster or register at the venue on the day of the screening.

Jeonbuk Women’s Organizations United stressed, “We hope this festival will give local residents an opportunity to listen to one another’s voices beyond the screen and firmly connect lives that have become fragmented.”