Happening this weekend, November 1-2 in Seoul, South Korea. The Ghosts of Jeju is being screened twice, presented by Joyakgol, Sister Stella, and Jesuit Brother Park.
Joyakgol says that it is being very well received by young and old alike. For most it is a “crash course” in the 4.3 massacre event, and an “eye-opener” about the US imperial advance on Jeju and the Pacific.
Thanks to Joyakgol, whom many of you will remember when he traveled with me on a 13 city tour with the film beginning with the Chicago Peace on Earth Film Festival, who finished the Korean version with subtitles and is screening it all over South Korea.
I am so gratified that Korean people here in America have welcomed the film and thank me for telling their story. I can only hope that people all over South Korea are moved and informed by The Ghosts of Jeju, and that they take responsibility for the deeds of their government.
The reaction seems to be the same around the world where it has been seen in 14 countries that I know about. Even more gratifying is the offer by volunteers to translate it into Japanese, French, Spanish, and Russian.
Without the financial support of so many of you, this would not be happening. I hope you realize that your contributions have helped to tell this important story all over the world.
After seeing the film, people always ask “what can we do to help.” Among the many things people can do, the most effective have been to purchase copies of the film and share it widely and to contribute so that I can continue this important work.
As I say in the film, “with knowledge comes responsibility, the least we can do is amplify the voices of Gangjeong.”
Since the publication of my documentary, The Ghosts of Jeju, I have focused almost exclusively on peace and justice issues and climate change.
This is the first in a series on Peacemakers I have met as I’ve traveled around the country screening The Ghosts of Jeju. The connection with the 7 yr peaceful, non-violent protest in Gangjeong Village should be obvious.
The people in this series have all been life-long activists.
Christine DeTroy’s story is very moving. Her journey began in Nazi Germany during the war when a farewell meeting with Frau Rosa Abraham, a Jew who was deported to a concentration camp near Prague and later died in a gas chamber, had a profound impact on her life.
Ever since her arrival in America after the war, she has been an outspoken activist and this is her story.
The Ghosts of Jeju with Korean subtitles is now available for sale online at www.theghostofjeju.wpengine.com
Thanks to my dear friend, Joyakgol, a Gangjeong peace activist, who traveled with me from The Chicago Peace on Earth Film Festival to the West Coast for screening in 13 cities, the Korean version of The Ghosts of Jeju has been completed.
Joyakgol edited and finalized the translation upon his return to Korea where he has been presenting the film. Joyakgol will also present the film this month at the following film festivals: Cheju Fringe Festival, the Environmental Film Festival in Incheon, The Catholic Film Festival, The Gwangju Human Rights Film Festival, and the Jeju Peace Festival.
He will be accompanied by Professor Yang Yoon-Mo, the former Korean film critic for 30 years, who left his career to defend his home. He has been imprisoned four times for protesting the construction of the navel base and went on hunger strikes each time. Here is a short clip from The Ghosts of Jeju:
I am happy to say that the Japanese version is nearing completion with only the subtitles to be added. The film is currently being translated into French with the subtitles due to be completed later this year. All of this work is being done gratis by people who have been moved by the film.
It is simply amazing that this almost no budget film has not only been screened hundreds of times here in America, but found its way to at least 16 countries that I know of, including Russia and Taiwan.
I am humbled and gratified by the appeal of The Ghosts of Jeju. As my good friend, Charles Hanley, the Associated Press Pulitzer Prize winning author of the Bridge at No Gun Ri told me, “you have no idea of the magnitude of the story you fell into.”
On going to Jeju in September of 2012, I thought I was going to make a short film about another anti-war, anti-U.S. militarism protest in a far-off land. And, like me when I discovered the untold and hidden story of the U.S. in Korea since 1945, Americans who see the film express the same disbelief, anger, and shame that I felt. The many Korean people in America who have seen it all thank me for telling this story which had been hidden from them as well.
You can help me continue to spread the film in the U.S. and around the world by purchasing a copy of the film in English or Korean and sharing it widely. There are no royalties, fees, or permissions needed. To date, I have not been compensated. Proceeds from the sale of the film have allowed me to make two cross country trips and countless regional trips to present it to both large and small groups.
Later this month I will be presenting it to the Peace & Justice Studies Association annual conference in San Diego, and the following week it will be screened by the Korean Studies Department at UCLA in a return visit.
The film is being sold in Korea with all of the proceeds going to the activists in Gangjeong Village, and all of the proceeds from copies purchased in Korea on line at www.theghostofjeju.wpengine.com will also go to Gangjeong.
Thanks to all of you who have contributed and continue to contribute towards my current project. But, it isn’t money that fuels my fire.
Amidst all of the dark and frightening barrage of daily news, here’s what is bright and hopeful.
The following email is what is most gratifying and why I do what I do. These three fellows were two years behind me at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA back in the 60’s. One of them heard about The Ghosts of Jeju and ordered it. Since the three have remained close throughout the years and get together regularly, they watched the film recently, and here is what they had to say:
Hi Regis,
This past weekend we were finally able to view your film: The Ghosts of Jeju. We were all impressed. It’s obvious that a great deal of research, work and heart went into the film–your commitment to the issue and the people there is clear.
All of us learned quite a bit about a situation we confess we knew nothing about. Even though all of us would consider ourselves Catholics who believe firmly in the gospel of peace and justice, much of what was presented was a revelation. We were aware of the massacre at the bridge during the Korean War, but did not know about the earlier slaughter on the island. It is reminiscent of US policy in Central America where anyone who protest the status quo or struggles for true justice is considered a communist…to be eliminated.
We likewise weren’t aware of some of the more recent dimensions in US Geopolitical thinking. We were shocked about the outer space dimension and the language used by the military about such a “cool” strategy.
So, Regis, we want to thank you for the work you have done telling a story that deserves to be told. We share with you the same sense of responsibility as citizens and as people of faith. We appreciate the commitment required of us all to make this world more just and peaceful.
It would be great to get together with you sometime. I know we’ll have plenty more to discuss. And since the three of us do meet up occasionally in New Hampshire it’s not too far afield to travel to Maine.
Redacted slightly so as to “protect the innocent.” 🙂
As you now, my month-long trip to Jeju and South Korea had to be postponed due to illness. To date, I have raised a little over $4,000 US for my new documentary that will cover the effects of U.S. militarism in the Pacific from Hawaii to The Philippines, and the large popular, non-violent uprisings occurring throughout the Pacific (and really around the world) against U.S. military presence and expansion.
So many of you have already supported this new effort with your financial contributions, and I thank you. But, I need your help now in finding progressive organizations, NGOs, and individuals who are known to support documentary films.
This new film will be much larger in scope than The Ghosts of Jeju and will require more money than I have been able to raise from generous and supportive contributors like you.
The film will also demonstrate very clearly, using interviews with independent journalists, former State Department, and CIA officials, the dark forces that make foreign policy, war, and large increases in the Department of War budget.
My plan is to begin filming early in 2015 beginning in Hawaii and Okinawa, and then on down to Jeju and S. Korea, Taiwan, Guam, and The Philippines.
If The Ghosts of Jeju is any indication, this new film will also receive world-wide attention and acclaim. I have no idea how many screenings there have been, nor how many people have seen The Ghosts of Jeju. The screenings number in the hundreds in the U.S. and in at least 15 countries. Thousands of people have seen it and hundreds have purchased copies.
The Ghosts of Jeju has recently been released in South Korea with subtitles, thanks to the tremendous efforts of my dear friend, Joyakgol. Very soon it will be released in Japan having been translated by Maho Yamazaki and activist friends. It is also being translated into French. All of these efforts by dedicated activists for no compensation at all.
Documentary films do not make money! Films like mine are a labor of love that arise from an inner need to educate and inform the world about the serious issues that are threatening life on Mother Earth. My focus is on ending militarism, wars, and the death and destruction of the environment that results.
So, I am once again turning to you for help in finding sources, be they individuals, organizations, or foundations, that will see the value in what I am doing and want to help. As you know, I am a “crew” of one. The only thing standing in the way of making this film is money.
Thank you again for your past support and anything you can do to help make this new film a reality.
Here’s is my short video plea for help in making this film.
As fate would have it, my return to Jeju was derailed when I came down with “C Diff” two weeks before my August 4th departure. I was hospitalized for five days and was on antibiotics for two weeks. I lost a great deal of strength and the doctors would not permit me to travel. As of this date, I am feeling fine, but still get tired easily and don’t have much stamina.
Joyakgol, who accompanied me during the March tour of The Ghosts of Jeju beginning with the Chicago Peace On Earth Film Festival and screenings in California, did the final edit on the Korean translation and had the subtitles placed on the master. Joyakgol is a genius at marketing and promotion and created a press package that went to all of the media outlets in S. Korea. As I write this, The Ghosts of Jeju is being distributed throughout S. Korea and will soon be available on this website.
Because of this exposure, I was interviewed on August 8th by the English-language radio station in Seoul about my views on Pope Francis’ visit to South Korea next week, The Ghosts of Jeju, and my commitment and ties to the peaceful, non-violent struggle in Gangjeong.
Here is the link to that 14 minute interview that was slightly edited.
I also produced the following 22 minute video that I was to have presented at the Pan Island Peace Camp held in Gangjeong. I made the video because I thought it would be better than a talk with slides, and in the event that I was delayed or refused entry into S. Korea. Turns out, I wasn’t able to go anyway.
The video reveals the origins of U.S. Militarism dating back to the discovery of the Americas. It also makes clear what is behind militarism and why the U.S. has invaded other countries more than 300 times since 1798. The video explains why it is important to understand that it is NOT American presidents and the U.S. Congress that are behind wars, militarism and imperial domination, but the “shadow government” that has taken over our government.
My recent illness has not cancelled my return to Jeju, but only postponed it until early 2015 when I will travel from Hawaii, Okinawa, Jeju, Tiawan, and down to the Philippines to film my new documentary on the effects of U.S. militarism in the Pacific and the popular uprisings against it.
The struggle against the construction of that massive naval base by the peaceful, non-violent villagers of Gangjeong and their supporters has inspired all who have seen The Ghosts of Jeju because of their indomitable spirit, energy, and persistence in the face of insurmountable odds.
I believe the only hope we have of defeating the dark forces that would destroy us and our world is in the massive, peaceful, non-violent uprisings we are seeing all over the globe against Capitalism, greed, and the attempt to control the world through full-spectrum domination by the U.S. Military serving the needs of the big banks, multi and transnational corporations, the Military Industrial Complex, and the Oligarchy that have taken over our government and many governments of the world.
To repeat my closing remarks in The Ghosts of Jeju, “By going to Jeju, I found my own voice and realized that knowledge demands responsibility and action. With citizenship in this country comes a responsibility for its deeds. The least we can do is amplify the voices of Gangjeong.”
As many of you know, I will be returning to Jeju on August 5th. On August 6th, I will give a presentation to an international gathering of Pacific Islanders at the Gangjeong Peace Camp, a three day affair beginning on August 3rd. They will also screen the Ghosts of Jeju on the second evening of the camp.
Rather than give a talk, I prepared this 22:43 video about US Militarism and its origins. Thought I’d share it in this blog.
The new documentary will focus on the effects of US militarism in the Pacific and the massive, popular uprisings against it. When looked at through a different perspective than the one all Americans have been ingrained with, America no longer looks so beautiful.
I’ve just finished reading a very shocking book by William Blum entitled Rogue State. It is the most detailed and concise record of US military and CIA interventions around the world since 1945 that I have found.
Blum reveals America’s recklessness, abuse, and blackmail on dozens of sovereign states, and of course, the countless bombings and mass killings in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Central America, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan….literally against any country that would attempt to form a government and society not aligned with America’s interests, and most definitely against any country that might attempt to compete with or impede America’s global hegemony.
This books details America’s abuse and obstruction of the United Nations since its inception. It details dozens and dozens of UN General Assembly votes objected to by the US and Israel, and many others vetoed by only the US. The US has also vetoed and ignored UN calls for human rights in Palestine, on countless occasions, a nuclear test ban treaty, and international criminal courts to name just a few.
Blum says that America equates Democracy with free-market Capitalism, a myth that has only wrecked havoc and poverty throughout the world and right here at home as well.
How does America get away with it? Because America can. Simple as that. As the only superpower in the world, the corporate power structure that controls our government and many other governments in the world is attempting to imposed a new world order on the planet with a one world economy that is enforced by the most powerful and lethal military the world has ever know.
My film will bring much of this out, but will also focus on the more immediate, destructive effects of US militarism in the Pacific such as the destruction and pollution of the environment, abject poverty, prostitution, the forced evacuation of indigenous people, the obliteration of ancient cultures and civilizations, and the egregious violation of human rights on every level, from food, clean water, education, health care and civil liberties.
I find the same things happening here at home quite striking.
It’s now up to the few of us who did respond to do something for the good people of Jeju. The last shred of respect I’ve clung to for the US government is gone. It would’ve taken much less than what I’ve seen tonight to free me from my self-deception.
Hi, Holly,
After seeing the film (The Ghosts of Jeju) on Weds., I was too emotional to have comments. I don’t want you to think I was untouched by what I saw. I’ll pass on a comment I made to a friend after I arrived home. Thank you for doing your part, always. Peace and Love, Kathy
I’ve just come from a heart-rending viewing of a finely made film of the destruction and valiant protest on the Korean island of Jeju. Once a paradise of unspoiled, vibrant ocean, sacred rocks and waterfalls, an agricultural and fishing community a mere 35 x 45 miles in size, it was first attacked and destroyed during the Korean war. The residents are South Koreans, but our government ordered them destroyed and they were, by the thousands. The continued systematic destruction of this little paradise is now being perpetrated so the US can add to their legion of bases around the world…way over 1,160 bases, worldwide, all shoving indigenous populations off, destroying their environment and homes. The bravery and refusal to give up shown by the natives and those who come in as peace activists from many countries is beyond astounding. After thousands were massacred by the Korean and American armies, survivors are iron-tough and willing to put their lives on the line. My good friend Holly Graham wrote and performed a lovely song of peace for the movie and the showing tonight was hosted by her, alone. Sadly, few people responded to her invitation. It’s now up to the few of us who did respond to do something for the good people of Jeju. The last shred of respect I’ve clung to for the US government is gone. It would’ve taken much less than what I’ve seen tonight to free me from my self-deception.
I have already received $2,500 as a result of the Indiegogo funding campaign which ends on July 10. Thanks to all of you who contributed. But, that is a little less than 30% of what it will take to travel to the islands of the Pacific.
I need to raise $10,000 by May of 2015 when I plan to go to Hawaii, Japan, Okinawa, Guam and the Philippines to film American bases and the contamination and destruction of the environment, the displacement of indigenous people, and the violation of human rights, all directly caused by America’s militarism and imperial advance in the Pacific. I also want to film the large, popular uprisings against America’s presence on each of those islands, as well as ask people why they are protesting and what they hope to accomplish.
This is a 5 minute video explaining more about the messages that will make up this film. Please take a moment to watch it even if you have already contributed, and please share it with friends on social media.
Happening this weekend, November 1-2 in Seoul, South Korea. The Ghosts of Jeju is being screened twice, presented by Joyakgol, Sister Stella, and Jesuit Brother Park.
