Following the emergency martial law crisis on December 3, 2024, protests erupted across the country.
After the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion for President Yoon Suk Yeol, calls for his arrest and detention continued to grow.
Among those joining the cause was the ‘Jeon Bong-jun Struggle Group’ under the National Peasants Federation. They traveled from areas like Jinju in Gyeongnam and Muan in Jeonnam toward Seoul, urging the President’s arrest.
However, their tractor procession was blocked by police near Namtaeryeong Station in Seoul. As the standoff between farmers and police persisted, citizens who heard the news began to gather at the station. This is how the Namtaeryeong protest unfolded on December 21, 2024, the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.
The film ‘Namtaeryeong’ is a documentary that records the 28-hour protest that took place at Namtaeryeong immediately after the emergency martial law incident.
Using posts and videos uploaded to social media (SNS), the movie vividly captures the protest scene that lasted over a day. It breathlessly follows the journey of the tractors to Seoul, citizens heading to the site after seeing SNS posts, the delivery of food and heating supplies to those citizens, and finally, the moment the road was opened.
The records also convey the voices of various citizens. As a diverse range of people took to the protest stage to demand the removal of police barricades, the gathering transformed into a broader public square. Part-time workers, high school graduate employees, victims of rental fraud, and Chinese nationals all shared their voices. One of the highlights of the film is the moment of solidarity between farmers and the queer (sexual minority) community, who were previously unfamiliar with each other’s agendas.
The film also explores the aftermath of the Namtaeryeong protest to examine its meaning more broadly. By highlighting hands of solidarity reaching out to metal union workers’ sit-ins, queer protests, and daughters from the TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk) region, it captures scenes of change budding within our society.
The movie was selected as the closing film of the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival and was first screened in Jeonju earlier this month. It was directed by PD Kim Hyun-ji of MBC Gyeongnam, who also directed the documentary ‘Adult Kim Jang-ha’ (2023).
During a preview held on the 14th at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul, Director Kim stated, “I believe the role of this film is to show that many people know change is necessary and that the new generation is demanding that change.” She added, “I hope there will be more conversations in the style of ‘Namtaeryeong’ in the future.”
Opening on the 20th. 114 minutes. Rated 12+.
