Korean military men arm in arm with elderly Korean woman in front of flowers and model rocket

AsiaLENS: AEMS Documentary Film and Discussion Series at the Spurlock: People Are the Sky with Filmmaker Dai Sil Kim-Gibson

AsiaLENS is a series of free public film screenings and discussion programs—organized by the Asian Educational Media Service (AEMS)/Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies (CEAPS) in collaboration with the Spurlock Museum—presenting recent documentary and independent films on issues reflecting contemporary life in Asia. Local and visiting experts introduce the films and lead audiences in post-screening discussions.

  • People Are the Sky
  • Directed by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson
  • 2014 / 94 minutes / North Korea/South Korea/USA

Film Description

In People Are the Sky, director Dai Sil Kim-Gibson makes a pilgrimage to her place of birth in North Korea for the first time in nearly 70 years, to explore if it is still home. She seamlessly weaves her own personal story as a native born North Korean, with the fractious history of the North/South division and pinpoints the roots of North Korean’s hatred of the United States, giving Americans a much better understanding of the conflict. A mix of interviews, epic images and graceful musings, People Are the Sky offers some of the best political and social history of the relations between North and South Korea, and also a contemplative exploration of the meaning of home.

Dai Sil Kim-Gibson is an independent filmmaker/writer, known for championing the compelling but neglected issues of human rights. Her films have been screened at international film festivals and broadcasted on PBS and Sundance Channel. Formerly professor of religion at Mount Holyoke College with a Ph.D. in religion from Boston University, she has also authored many articles and books, including Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women, Looking for Don: A Meditation, and Korean Sky.

Add Event to CalendarAdd to Calendar

Contact

For further information, contact AEMS (external link) at , or call (217) 333-9597.

To request disability-related accommodations for this event, please contact Brian Cudiamat at or (217) 244-5586.