[First Reactions] Cineplay Critic’s Rating for ‘Horoomon’

Director Lee Il-ha, who examined hate speech in Japan in 〈Counters〉, turns his camera on human rights activist Shin Sugok, a target of those same forces. Centering on Shin’s lawsuit against DHC Television, the film weaves in her family history to tell a century of Zainichi Korean history. Rather than simply presenting archival material, it combines footage from the scene, visual imagery and typography to leave a lasting impression. Still, both Shin herself and Zainichi history are so expansive that I wished the film had placed a little more emphasis on one or the other. Even so, it is clearly a concise, engaging introduction that will spark curiosity about both subjects.