National Security (Namyeong-Dong 1985)

Korea 2012, 110 min, English subtitles

In 1985, during the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan, the young Kim Geun-tae, an activist in the pro-democracy movement and later health minister, is arrested for alleged ties to North Korea and locked up in Seoul’s notorious police headquarters. Chung Ji-young’s unsparing images confront the viewer with the brutality of the torture Kim was subjected to, the sadism of the guards and the suffering of the victim.

Chung Ji-young (*1946) is one of the most influential figures in South Korean cinema. In addition to his directorial and screenwriting activity, he works for the development of the South Korean film market, including a screen quota system. After a several-year break from filmmaking, he made a successful return to the business with Unbowed (2011).