VIDEO | Five Horses – mid-process production sample | 2023-2025
2023-2025
1-channel, HD1080, 06:28 min
Five Horses is a visual narrative about an inmate at the former leprosy colony in Sorokdo, who was forced to work on the infamous seawall project in Goheung, South Korea, in the early 1960s.
The film recounts one person’s memories of tragic personal episodes, catastrophic forced labor, broken promises, and shattered dreams—memories that have changed over the years and been shaped by a strong Christian faith.
An individual’s participation in a project that none of the forced labourers were allowed to complete is at the heart of this story. The film revisits the locations as they appear today. What was once a dream for the inmates of the leprosy colony—to be part of something larger—is now a space shaped by the dreams of others. Reality took a different course; no one’s future aspirations came true. Instead, the harsh face of reality prevailed.
The film’s themes revolve around aspirations for the future, crushed hopes, betrayal, and repression. It tells the story of a person subjected to systemic oppression rooted in ignorance, malice, and at times, outright sadism.
