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| ▲ Independence activist Choi Jae-hyung. Photo courtesy of the Choi Jae-hyung Memorial Foundation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- A biographical film about Korean independence activist Choi Jae-hyung will be jointly produced by South Korea and Russia, the film’s production company said Tuesday.
Morning Calm Film announced that it has completed the script for the film “Father of the Independence Army, Pyotr Choi” and will soon begin full-scale production.
Choi Jae-hyung was a leading independence activist who supported the livelihood and education of Koreans living in Russia’s Primorsky Krai during the Japanese colonial period. He was arrested by Japanese forces and executed on April 7, 1920. Choi is also known for assisting independence hero Ahn Jung-geun (1879–1910) in his plot to assassinate Japanese statesman Ito Hirobumi.
“We hope this film will shed light on the stories of unsung heroes who gave their lives for Korea’s independence,” Morning Calm Film said, adding that ethnic Koreans in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Sakhalin are participating in a fundraising campaign, contributing 10,000 won each to support the project.
The script, based on “Independence Activist Choi Jae-hyung,” a book by Moon Young-sook, director of the Choi Jae-hyung Memorial Foundation, took two years to complete. Director Oh Deok-hwan wrote the screenplay.
The story begins with businessman Choi in Vladivostok telling his Russian wife, Elena, of his decision to join Korea’s independence struggle. It follows his organization of the militia group Donguihoe and his interactions with fellow independence fighters, including General Hong Beom-do. The film also depicts his collaboration with Ahn Jung-geun to plan Ito’s assassination, and a tense sequence in which Choi hosts a village festival to cover the operation and anxiously awaits news of its success.
Filming is set to begin in April next year in Russia’s Primorsky region, one of Choi’s key bases of activity.
Moon Jong-geum, CEO of Morning Calm Film and head of the Korea-Russia Friendship Association, led the signing of a co-production agreement with a Russian film company. “This project holds special significance as a Korea-Russia co-production,” Moon said. “We hope it will strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.”
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