K-Saram: Tale of the Pig Head

SOUND / COLOUR

Germany, Russia, South Korea – Russian, Korean, Koryo-mar, English

Approximately 500,000 ethnic Koreans reside in the former Soviet Union. Most of their ancestors were forced to escape during the Japanese occupation (1910 - 1945) and were subject to the Great Purge under Stalin. Their self-given name is Koryo-saram. 

Centered around the Koryo-saram community in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, the film displays a shamanistic memorial ancestral ritual called „Jesa“, encompassing the collective memory of Korean diaspora and the wish of the Koryo-saram for a unification of South and North Korea. „Saram“ means human in Korean. The title refers to todays popular K-export-products like K-Drama, K-Pop, K-Beauty, etc., and to the name that the Soviet-Korean diaspora uses instead of the South-Korean term „Koryo-In“.

The film configures a multi-vocal narrative through shamanic ritual performances, digital glitches, poetic voiceover, text and soundscapes. Both inter-subjective and deeply personal, the film treats these tales of migration, diaspora and death with humor and lightness.

Supported by Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, Filmwerkstatt Düsseldorf Filmlab program, Ministry of Culture NRW.

Distributed by CFMDC 
https://www.cfmdc.org/film/5116

World Premiere:Lublin Film Festival 2021
https://lff.lublin.pl/events/off-world-2/