The Road Taken

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Produced by Young Film

co-produced by ShinCine

production sponsors

B+Pictures, noonfilm, KOFIC

I don't agree with your ideals

But if someone deters you

because of your ideals

I will stand by you regardless

- Voltaire -

executive producers

Park Kun-sub, Hong Ki-sun

producers

Kim Shin-hee, Jung Sung-hoon

screenplay

Lee Maeng-yoo

director of photography

Oh Jeong-ok

lighting director

Lee Min-boo

editor

Lee Eun-soo

music by

Choi Yoon-sang

location sound

Noh Chun-kil

sound supervisor

Yang Dae-ho

I had a dream once

I'm not sure if

I can fulfill that dream

and it doesn't matter

Even if it doesn't come true

I'll keep dreaming that dream

If there's destiny in life

and I could avoid it

I might wish to do so

But...

By joining the rebel army

and breaking the

National Security Law

On Aug. 15, 1952

we sentence Kim Sun-myung

to 15 years in prison

directed by

Hong Ki-seon

For spying for the North

and breaking the

National Security Law

on July 25, 1953

we sentence

Kim Sun-myung to death

THE ROAD TAKEN:

February 27, 1954

After a retrial of the

accused Kim Sun-myung

we finally sentence him

to life imprisonment

From Seoul Prison

to Mapo Penitentiary

to Daegu, Daejeon, Mokpo

and back to Daejeon

I was transferred

to many different prisons

and I met many comrades

while trapped inside my cell

I was an ignorant laborer before

But one day I began to recite

Pushkin's "Song of Siberia"

and became a veteran inmate

And then in 1970

I...

I faced a big test to my fate

as if it was waiting for me

And with people I'll never forget

Move it!

Hurry and go into your cells!

Comrade Ahn!

Comrade Kim!

Welcome

Nice to see you again

Hello, it's a pleasure

to meet you

Comrade Kim

/'m Kim Sun-myung from Mokpo

Choi In-gyu from Gwangju

How was Mokpo Prison?

Humane

Gave me toasted rice

I envy you!

You're lucky

I haven't had toasted rice

for 18 years

What's the matter?

I was thinking of my mother

Time to eat!

Let's eat

I'm freezing, hurry up

I'm going in

Oh, it's cold

It looks like the needlework

of Master Lee Young-woon

Is Master Lee here?

He gave me one, too

Is he healthy?

What cell is he in?

I haven't seen him

since we left Daegu Prison

Guwol Mountain

Guwol Mountain

The home of partisans

the home of partisans

For my country

for my country

Raise it up high

Oh, it's cold

My nickname is Jindo Dog

And I'm still single

I'll get married after

the North and South marries

Now Jindo Dog will sing

the 'Arirang' song for you

Cell 15!

Quiet down!

to another cell

- Comrade Ahn

- Comrade Park

- Comrade Nam

- Comrade Park

- Comrade Kim

- Comrade Park

My nickname is Lark

I'd like more rice

from you for two days

They've starved me

for a few days, you see

This is good medicine

for back aches

Here

Take it

Try it

I'm sorry

Hunger is one thing

I can't hold back

Write

And erase

Let me try it

This is amazing

Comrade Kim

we should be careful with this

Comrade Kim

you're talented

'Black bean noodles'

All you think about is food

'Hometown'

Reminds me of home

Reunification

What's that?

Who made this?

- Do you all want to die?

- I made it

You again?

What's this for?

Tell me or come out!

- You see...

- What do you want?

Well...

You see

it's for drawing

What? Drawing?

For drawing, I see

Wait, what's after

this 'Re... '?

It's reunification

Reunification

What?

Reunification?

- Nixon made a statement

- About what?

- I heard they'll let us play sports

- It's not true

President Park

declared a state of emergency

A Korean Japanese student

was put in cell 5

One of those thugs snatched

holiday candies from us

Let's get them back

The North and South

are developing talks

July 4, 1972 at 10 A.M.

Pyongyang and Seoul

made a joint statement

without foreign interference

by peaceful means

solidarity not by ideologies

They compromised

on these conditions

Comrades, the North and South

will both join the UN

Reunification is coming!

Am I dreaming?

I feel so ecstatic!

Comrades

Comrade Kim, pinch me

Mother

Comrade Kim

now it's time for you to marry

The suffering is over

If the statement is true

I'll live a happy life with

my family in my hometown

It's been so long since

I slept with a woman

Comrade Kim

you have no woman, right?

I'll introduce you to one

Great!

You're 40 something, right?

But I still feel like a boy

But Comrade Kim

can you still perform?

What are you doing?

The North-South negotiating

committee has been established

And the North-South Red Cross

meeting will be held soon

They'll probably mention us

The North knows

about how we're suffering

so they'll talk about an

exchange of political prisoners

Comrade Choi

you must be happy

Now you can sleep well

after visiting hours

I've envied Comrade Kim for

having no one to come see him

Letters and visiting hours

hurt more than the tortures

I felt like dying then

It's too early for optimism

In reality

it's not that easy

I'll make you all sleep

with a sexy woman tonight

Comrade Nam, there's a way

to dream of a woman

This smells like

a woman's scent, right?

Come on

stand up and dance

Bed time!

Sweet dreams everyone

I'll send a woman

into your dreams tonight

Her soft pink skirt is

waving before my eyes

On the hill of my hometown

her face delights me

I'm running to her

in my dream

Here! It's a special meal!

Do you know what this is?

- Isn't it a boiled egg?

- What's gotten into them?

- It's been so long

- These are great times

Eggs, eggs, boiled eggs

It reminds me of my wife

- What are you doing?

- Don't you know?

I haven't been this touched

in the last 20 years in jail

Okay, okay

While we're at it

how about

I'll go ask the supervisor

so get off my back

Sure thing

If we sing louder

they won't

know where it's coming from

Eggs, eggs

boiled eggs

It reminds me of my wife

Hey! Hey!

Hooray! Hooray!

The flame of reunification

is flaring up

I'm not sure

They said we'll be reunified

so aren't you happy?

No one knows yet

You're not happy

about reunification?

I'm happy

If it happens

I'll have to look for another job

Like me

don't you think

you'll be out of a job, too?

What do you mean

by that?

Isn't your job to

achieve reunification?

Maybe so

But think I'll have

nothing to do later?

Instead I'll be able to do

what I wanted

First, I'll get married

And...

I used to run a bicycle shop

before the war

So I want to open

a small bicycle factory

What about you?

No health problems, right?

It's the interview form

Fill it out

Frankly, I do want reunification

but not through the North

I don't understand you

And I don't have

the ability to change you

Whichever way

isn't reunification good?

Then do you want

the South to lead the way?

Why hasn't there

been any news?

Itll happen soon

Hopefully so

Comrade Kim, if you get freed

what will you do?

As for me...

We won't be totally free

but a sentence reduction

is possible like in the 60s

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