These are ten Asian docs you should not miss at the 12th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival which takes place from September 17th – 24th, in Goyang and Paju (South Korea).

About the festival:
The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, as one of leading international documentary film festivals in Asia, aims to provide opportunities for growing Korean and Asian documentary filmmakers to have a field that cineastes and audience together celebrate the festival through documentaries for promoting ‘peace’, ‘life’ and ‘communication’ with DMZ.

Selected Films:

A war between government and ISIS-affiliated jihadists in Marawi, Philippines, forced hundreds of thousands to flee from their homes. After the war, residents struggle to rebuild their homes and live in a deformed city. Displaced couple Yusop and Farhanna and their children yearn for freedom, income, and comfort after returning to their city. But even to return to normalcy is already a struggle.

Schedule:
September 20th, 2020 (Sunday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 20:30 pm
September 24th, 2020 (Thursday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 17:00 pm

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayBArZ5vGqA

Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy.

Schedule:
September 19th, 2020 (Saturday) | Megabox Baekseok Comport 6 | 14:00 pm
September 24th, 2020 (Thursday) | Megabox Baekseok 2 | 11:30 am

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy_gWR0dEpY

When Rodrigo Duterte is voted president of the Philippines, he sets in motion a machinery of death to execute suspected drug peddlers, users, and small-time criminals. Aswang follows people whose fates entwine with the growing violence during two years of killings in Manila.

Schedule:
September 20th (Sunday) | Megabox Baekseok 8 | 14:30 pm
September 20th (Sunday) | Megabox Baekseok 1 | 17:00 pm

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0brLcsXwew

A renowned documentary filmmaker Mori Tatsuya follows the real-life inspiration for the well-received fiction film, THE JOURNALIST, Mochizuki Isoko, who is not afraid of asking tough questions to high-rank government officials. Her commitment as a dedicated journalist casts a bigger question about the individuals’ roles and the way it relates to the society.

Schedule:
September 19th, 2020 (Saturday) | 왓챠관 상영작 | 13:30 pm
September 21st, 2020 (Monday) | Megabox Baekseok 1 | 19:30 pm

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETeuy-7ljCM

Presented as a work-in-progress, this version of If We Burn follows pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong as they storm the Legislative Council building on July 1, 2019.

Schedule:
September 19h, 2020 (Saturday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 20:30 pm
September 23rd, 2020 (Wednesday) | Megabox Baekseok 7 | 20:00 pm

Intimately following coaches and players in the historic 100th National High School Baseball Tournament, an unexpectedly shocking window into Japanese society and its struggle to balance Tradition vs. Progress, Enforcement vs. Autonomy.

Schedule:
September 18th, 2020 (Friday) | Megabox Baekseok Comport 6 | 11:30 am
September 21st, 2020 (Monday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 11:00 am

Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/366753473

What feels like an ordinary weekend outing, paying a visit to grandpa, a young couple gets into a heated argument exposing their resentments, past lies, an old lover, a missed birthday, a possible divorce and a death. But have they told each other everything?

Schedule:
September 17th, 2020 (Thursday) | Megabox Baekseok 2 | 15:30 pm
September 22nd, 2020 (Tuesday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 11:00 am

Following a new anti-establishment group ‘Reiwa Shinsengumi’ led by actor-turned-politician Yamamoto Taro at the election held in summer 2019.

Schedule:
September 18th, 2020 (Friday) | Megabox Baekseok 7 | 17:30 pm
September 22nd, 2020 (Tuesday) | Megabox Baekseok 1 | 17:00 pm

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMD-TUYwV4

Langfang is one of the most air-polluted cities in China. There, the interests of the local environmental protection bureau, which is under political pressure, clash with those of industry. A case study on China’s fight against pollution.

Schedule:
September 20th, 2020 (Sunday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 14:00 pm
September 23rd, 2020 (Wednesday) | Megabox Baekseok Comport 6 | 20:30 pm

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SHF_LDg3XQ

Kaminah(70) and Kusdalini(74) have living together for more than 50 years since their first encounter in prison, they were political detainee. Both of them taking care of each other. But, since Kusdalini has stroke and been hospitalized, Kusdalini becomes very dependent on Kaminah. They are no longer doing things together, and Kaminah has to prepared herself for the loss of her life time partner.

Schedule:
September 21st, 2020 (Monday) | Megabox Baekseok 3 | 17:30 pm
September 23rd, 2020 (Wednesday) | Megabox Baekseok Comport 6 | 11:30 am

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqwXFWJJ2DM

For more information about the festival and the programme please visit the official website here: http://dmzdocs.com/