The movie 'Nakdong River' (1952), which contains scenes from the Korean War, was excavated and restored after 70 years, and will be shown for the first time at the 27th Busan International Film Festival to be held in October.
In the movie 'Nakdonggang', only black-and-white photos of movie scenes remain, and it is known that the original video has been lost.
However, the Korean Film Archive has recently discovered the original film and has been working on 4K digitization, and announced that the work will be completed by the end of this year and will be released to the public.
This film is the third digitally preserved film among the 14 feature films produced during the Korean War.
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The movie 'Nakdonggang' is a movie about a young man graduating from college who returns home and takes the lead in creating a better hometown to live with his lover, a female teacher.
Directed by Jeon Chang-geun, based on the poem by Lee Eun-sang of Nosan (鷺山) of the same name.
This 44-minute black-and-white sound film of the actual battle of the Korean War, recorded the actual battle of the Korean War, captured the actual Nakdong River battle, informed the audience who were refugees at the time, and gave great comfort to those who suffered the pain of the war.
It was first released in Busan in February 1952, and since then it has been officially released in cities such as schools and villages in Daegu and Gyeongnam region, and has a special meaning in Korean film history.
In addition, the film is evaluated as highly valuable in terms of music, literature, and dance history as composers Yi Sang Yoon, poet Lee Eun-sang, and dancer Jo Yong-ja participated in the film.
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In particular, the film music of Yi-sang Yoon, which was inserted into the film, became the prototype of the unreleased orchestral piece 'Poetry of the Nakdong River' in 2017, and the relationship between the two works was revealed late, drawing attention.
The film 'Nakdonggang', with its image and sound preserved, will be unveiled for the first time at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held in the Haeundae Film Center in Busan from October 5 to 14.
(Photo = Korea Film Archive, Tongyeong International Music Foundation)