[New Film] Late Director Hur Bum-wook’s ‘Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease’—Invited to the World’s Largest Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Opens on the 21st

A desperate fable of survival in a cycle of violence

The posthumous work of director Hur Bum-wook, a promising creator in South Korea’s independent animation scene, ‘Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease’ will open in theaters on the 21st. As the late director’s second feature, the film has drawn an outpouring of grief and interest from across the film industry. He died at the age of 43 in July after an accidental fire.

The film depicts the tragic parallel stories of H, a pig that miraculously survives a mass cull during a national foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, and Private First Class Choi Jeong-seok, who deserts while armed after being unable to endure brutal treatment in his military unit. Through the two characters’ struggles to survive, the film incisively examines the devastation wrought by human selfishness and the violence bred by hierarchical groups.

The film interweaves the journeys of H, who wanted to become human, and Jeong-seok, who chose to become a beast. A pig thrashing in a mass-culling pit and a deserter hiding in a cave deep in the mountains to escape beatings by his senior soldier cross paths in a strange encounter. The horrific reality of animals confined and raised in cramped livestock sheds, and the bullying that follows people from their school years into the military, evoke a strange sense of déjà vu. Together, they lay bare the “systemic violence” embedded in modern society.

The film’s unflinching depictions and bold storytelling earned recognition on the world stage early on. Its accolades include an invitation to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, known as the Cannes Film Festival of the animation world; a Special Mention from the jury at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival; and the Best Feature Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival. Born in 1983, Hur studied at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) and established a distinctive cinematic vision with his debut feature, ‘Pale Faces’ (2015).

Although its creator is no longer with us, his weighty message and fierce artistic spirit will reach audiences through the screen. More than just an animated film, ‘Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease’ will serve as a chilling warning to a society that has grown numb to the suffering of others.