Rare showing of North Korean war film

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, a number with special significance for the Korean people. In order to mark the anniversary, Robinson College will show North Korean film ‘Wolmi Island’.

The film is a vivid portrayal of the tragic fate of a coastal battery unit that fought to the last man protecting Wolmi Island in September 1950.

Encountering 50,000 troops and over 500 warships under the command of US General Douglas MacArthur, the North Korean battery commander Li Tae-un and his men delayed the UN landing operation for three days.

The film also depicts the role of women conscripted to participate in the Korean War alongside men, either on the front line or behind. The showing is a rare opportunity to glimpse North Korea’s perspective on the war and its place within the country’s ideology.

Dr Michael Shin, Korean Studies Lecturer, said: "This film provides us with a rare opportunity to learn about a country which we still know little about. The high production values suggest that the film was very important to the North Korean regime, and it can teach us much about how the North views the Korean War, the defining event of modern Korean history, and what place it has in its ideology."

The film, with English subtitles, will be shown at Robinson College’s Umney Theatre on October 29, at 5pm.