Remember 2014.4.16

04/16/14

South Korean Sewol ferry disaster took away 304 lives.

250/324

250 out of 324 students from Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea, drowned in the water.

3 years

That’s how long it took to bring a sunken ferry out of the water.

Sewol Ferry, a tragedy of hundreds. I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard about the news that the Sewol ferry sank. The sinking of the Sewol definitely shocked and angered the nation. There were many memorial ceremonies across the country over the past three years. People cherish the memory of Sewol ferry victims through films, songs, poems, art crafts, and so on.

It wasn’t only Koreans who sympathized with the Sewol ferry incident. Great number of people around the world heard about the news and gave support. But how did perspectives of Koreans and foreigners differ? To what extent did they share the same knowledge about the incident? Two documentaries, Diving Bell: The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol and After the Sewol, although they both deal with the Sewol ferry incident, shed light on distinct ideas.

Diving Bell:

The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol 

Directed by Sang Ho Lee & Hae Ryong Ahn

Diving Bell: The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol was the first of several documentaries that addressed the Sewol ferry disaster. Having in mind that it was directed by Korean filmmakers and was initially screened at ‘Busan Film Festival’ in Korea, the target audience of the documentary is likely to be those who are somewhat aware of the catastrophe. The film succeeded in grabbing international attention to remember the disaster to some extent. However, the main purpose of the documentary seems to be analyzing what has happened rather than simply summarizing the incident. Indeed, the film provides in-depth analysis on South Korean government’s incompetency in overcoming the Sewol incident along with the corruption of media and journalism.

Articulating that media reported false news to cover up the gravity of the issue and to exaggerate the government’s effort in rescuing the victims, the film criticizes corruption of the media manipulated by the government. Journalism that is supposed to be critical, precise, and accurate became ineffective and incapable of playing its role.  Moreover, Jong In Lee, an expert of Alpha Diving Technology, insists to use ‘diving bell,’ which would allow divers to stay underwater for longer period in order to rescue the survivors. Yet, the government completely disregards and the media colludes with the government to frame him as an opportunist who rejects government’s effort.

So, what does this say about how Koreans responded to the catastrophe? The film portrays Koreans’ distrust and hatred toward the government and the media. Of course, the Sewol ferry disaster aroused these reactions among Korean citizens but it seems more likely that skepticism and uncertainty about the government and the media were always present. The strong hostility toward the government and the media could be explained by understanding the Sewol ferry incident as the ‘trigger point’ that turned skepticism and misbeliefs into animosity.

Moreover, Diving Bell: The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol appeals to the audience through emotional quality rather than cinematic values. There are long voiceovers by the victims realizing they’re drowning in the water. Emotional moments such as shots of the victims’ families crying in the port and unreleased photographs of the victims in the ferry surely strike the audience. Especially in 2014 when it was first screened, the film was a method for people to express anger and disappointment. It was a tool to represent the voice of the minority. One of the interviewees in the film mentions that the only thing he wants is to uncover the truth about why the Sewol victims died and why the government tried to hide the gravity of the tragedy. Korean citizens’ rights to know the truth were taken away by the government. Also, considering that the documentary was filmed within 6 months after the disaster, the film focuses even more on the victims’ parents’ desperate and heartbroken feelings.

After the Sewol

Directed by Matthew Root & Neil P. George

As the title After the Sewol suggests, the documentary is more about the aftermath of the tragedy and focuses on what should happen in the future through the eyes of two British filmmakers, Matthew Root and Neil P. George.

While the documentary deals with the government’s lack of responsibility in initial countermeasure, the primary focus is not on the corruption of the government and the media. The film places more emphasis on the ‘reason’ behind students’ deaths and how victims’ families are coping with their loss. In an interview with BBC, the directors said that they initially planned to portray the victims’ families only but as they started to interview different people, they could not leave out the poor safety standards and rescue work by the government.

The film criticizes the government for ignoring the safety standards and poorly responding to the catastrophe without communicating with citizens but there isn’t as much ‘rage’ and ‘hatred’ involved. Instead, the film highlights the needs to improve safety regulations and to continue fighting for justice in the future. In the film, poorly regulated safety measures play a big part because it was one of the most important factors that caused the tragedy.

Another crucial difference of After the Sewol and Diving Bell: The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol is that After the Sewol does not appeal to the audience through emotional quality as much. In an interview with The Diplomat, the directors said “We  tried to reach audiences with a bigger message: without effective change, history will continue to repeat itself.” As foreigners looking inside a Korean society, Matthew Root and Neil P. George suggest how the Korean society should ‘change’ in the future.