[Lee Jong-gil's Film Reading] The Man Who Turned Nonsense into Common Sense

Animation 'Taeil' Director Hong Joon-pyo Talks About Martyr Jeon Tae-il
Labor Conditions Have Improved Compared to the Past but Many Issues Remain
Jeon Tae-il Emphasized Common Sense: "Current Conflicts Must Also Be Addressed Within That Framework"

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The starting point of the Korean labor movement is Jeon Tae-il. He was the first to raise questions in a society that had only focused on growth. "Comply with the Labor Standards Act! We are not machines!" People found courage in his righteous sacrifice. The anti-development dictatorship movement led by university students was joined by workers and religious figures. The following year, the political sphere also responded. For the first time, presidential candidates Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung made pledges to improve labor conditions.

Why did the wave of solidarity rise so strongly? The clue lies in Jeon Tae-il’s suicide note. "To all the me who do not know me, I have a request. Please never forget me, the me of this very moment. (...) I am a part of the whole that you know." The will to improve was inherited through various changes within the cycle of life and labor. The death chosen by a person who cried out for life transcended contradictions at that moment.

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The fragile chain of meaning was already addressed in director Park Kwang-soo’s 1995 film Beautiful Youth Jeon Tae-il. In the final scene, a young man passes by the street holding a biography of Jeon Tae-il. His face closely resembles Jeon Tae-il (Hong Kyung-in). This hints at the existence of a second and third Jeon Tae-il. The animation Ta-il-i, directed by Hong Joon-pyo and released on the 1st of this month, takes a similar direction. It portrays Jeon Tae-il as a person pursuing simple dreams and happiness. By depicting him in a familiar, family-like manner, it minimizes the gap arising from the label of martyr. It raises awareness of harsh labor conditions as a problem for everyone, forming a social consensus.

The cry from half a century ago remains valid today. Discrimination still exists depending on job type, contract form, and workplace size. Workers at workplaces with fewer than five employees are a representative example. They have no rights to working hours, annual leave, extended work, or protection against unfair dismissal. Employers exploit loopholes by dividing workplaces on paper. Proving such cases inevitably requires long and costly litigation. Director Hong Joon-pyo said, "There is still a long way to go."

Director Hong Jun-pyo [Photo by Myung Films]

- Why Jeon Tae-il again?

"This question came to mind when I was offered to direct the animation. If the world Jeon Tae-il dreamed of had unfolded, there would be no need to cover this story. Overall labor conditions have certainly improved. But Jeon Tae-il’s name continues to resonate. There are still many problems to solve. It’s not only workers in the blind spots of the Labor Standards Act. In the arts field, it is still common to omit contract writing for short-term employment."

- It must have been difficult since it’s a portrayal of a real person.

"Especially because he is a martyr. If portrayed incorrectly, it was obvious that audiences who remember the incident would criticize it. I felt the burden to depict it realistically. I proceeded by thoroughly analyzing Jeon Tae-il and adding imagination. I wrote the dialogue based on the tone and speech patterns from his diaries and notes, giving appropriate emotions. Key locations like Pyeonghwa Market were depicted based on photos and videos from that time. For the Cheonggye overpass, the construction progress was accurately portrayed according to the timeline."

- Unlike Beautiful Youth Jeon Tae-il, the self-immolation scene was simplified. It was briefly shown with a bust shot and then an extreme wide shot to distance the scene. The act of pouring oil was also omitted.

"I didn’t want to emphasize that day. I wanted to share the process before the moment his body caught fire. The core is what kind of thoughts and feelings Jeon Tae-il had when he set himself on fire. But I couldn’t skip it entirely. It was shown as a moment expressing the surprise of the people at Pyeonghwa Market."

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- That’s why he feels more like family or a friend than a martyr.

"Jeon Tae-il’s keywords are mainly three: martyr, self-immolation, and the Labor Standards Act. All of them give a sense of being distant from us. He was an ordinary young man, just like the title Ta-il-i suggests. I thought he should be portrayed as someone you could commonly see around you. That would increase empathy. The approach to self-immolation was similar. Usually, it evokes thoughts of death, but its significance lies in the beginning of a new spirit. Without that, we cannot discuss its impact on us."

- The strong will shown on his face during self-immolation is interpreted in the same context.

"Exactly. I wanted to portray an image bursting with energy rather than a pained expression. The spark is like a small cry. It implies that labor conditions can only improve if everyone shouts together."

- Focusing on a familiar depiction, the subjectivity and agency seem less than in Beautiful Youth Jeon Tae-il.

"It can look that way. He was infinitely delicate and kind. Sometimes naive too. Paradoxically, I think those are even greater qualities. A person we can comfort changed the world. It shows the possibility that anyone can become history. Extraordinary things grow within the ordinary."

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- There is a kind of formula in popular films dealing with labor issues. They depict the worker’s mundane daily life, then induce emotional change through unfair problems to provoke public outrage. Ta-il-i seems to slightly deviate from this formula.

"Because the target of anger is ambiguous. There is no character defined as a villain. Even those who act badly have their own hidden circumstances. Ta-il-i must have been overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. It must have been a suffocating and tragic moment."

- Labor issues have become complex recently. Young people struggle with employment, companies suffer from frequent turnover, and intergenerational conflicts over retirement age are sharp. What might the re-examined Jeon Tae-il say?

"He might extend a hand to improve things according to the changed labor environment. He was a person who emphasized common sense. If we don’t stray from that framework, I believe conflicts can be resolved and empathy expanded. The desire to live with dignity is the same for everyone."