5·18 Archive's Film "May" Wins Grand Prize at 5·18 Film Festival

Reinterpreting the May 18 Democratization Movement Through 3D Animation Techniques
A Moving Connection of Memories Across Past, Present, and Generations

The short film "May," produced by the 5·18 Archive, was selected as the grand prize winner of the 5th 5·18 Film Festival. (From left) Kim Bobae, Bang Seongsu, Lee Yuju. Provided by Gwangju City.

The short film "May," independently produced by the 5·18 Democratization Movement Archive, was selected as the grand prize winner of the 5th 5·18 Film Festival.

This year, a total of 150 works were submitted to the 5·18 Film Festival. The short film "May" was highly praised for its modern direction and its delicate connection of memories across generations, earning it the honor of the grand prize.

The film "May" has a runtime of 21 minutes and 35 seconds and features a unique direction that uses 3D animation techniques to interweave the past and present. The story begins when Min Seo, a photographer, visits Gwangju with her daughter Eunji to pay respects at her mother's grave. Through the camera that her mother used to document May 1980, she comes face to face with the tragedy of that time. The film follows the perspectives of three generations of women?grandmother, mother, and granddaughter?highlighting the roles and significance of women during the 5·18 period.

This work was produced by the archive in 2023 as part of a promotional support project for UNESCO Memory of the World by the National Heritage Administration, and it is currently being screened regularly in the video room on the third floor of the archive.

The 5·18 film broadens the scope of understanding of the 5·18 Democratization Movement. By providing a new opportunity for generations who did not experience 5·18 to understand the movement in a more relatable way, it emphasizes that we are all agents of history.

Kim Hokyun, director of the 5·18 Democratization Movement Archive, said, "Through this film, I hope that even generations who did not experience 5·18 firsthand can understand the meaning of the democratization movement in a friendly way and be reminded that everyone is a subject of history. The 5·18 Democratization Movement, reborn through film, will expand the horizon of its meaning and become an important attempt to broaden empathy with new generations."