National Security

National Security

2012. South Korea. Directed by Chung Ji-young. With Park Weon-sang, Lee Kyeong-yeong, Kim Gye-nam. Joining in the global discourse on torture, Chung’s National Security provides an unrelenting look at the violent corruption behind South Korea’s military rule in the 1980s. Grounded in the real-life experience of torture survivor cum respected politician Kim Geun-tae, the film chronicles—in painstakingly visceral detail—the brutality he endured over a 22-day period in the notorious Nam Young-dong detention center. This is a hard-hitting reminder of the long-term repercussions of institutionalized torture at both the personal and national level. In Korean; English subtitles. 110 min.