For the era when “On That Day” and “Da Manse” resonate together… The story behind the movie “Summoning” [Jeon Hyeong-hwa’s Direct Pen]

It would be rare to find a movie made without some trials and tribulations, but ‘Chohon, the Song Called Again’ (hereafter ‘Chohon’) was created in a manner rarely seen today. ‘Chohon’ is a film depicting the events that unfold when laborers at Samhyeong Industries go on strike for six months due to unpaid wages, with university student music group Delkkotsori joining their cause.

Directed by Cho Jung-rae, who previously covered the stories of Comfort Women in ‘Gwi-hyang’ and Korean traditional sounds in ‘The Clown: Sori-kkun,’ this is his new release after five years.

Like ‘Gwi-hyang’ and ‘The Clown: Sori-kkun,’ ‘Chohon’ was not funded by major investors but was created through contributions from ordinary people.

A part-time worker contributed 1 million won hoping the film would turn out well, and a factory worker added 1 million won as a gesture of support.

It’s a feature film made by gathering small contributions in this manner.

While politically charged documentaries are often made this way, director Cho Jung-rae and J.O. Entertainment producer Im Seong-cheol created ‘Chohon,’ like ‘Gwi-hyang’ and ‘The Clown: Sori-kkun,’ with the help of many people unrelated to politics. Originally, ‘Chohon’ planned to shoot at Chung-Ang University.

Cho Jung-rae’s alma mater and the site where the movie was to capture the late activist Inae Chang, a former student council president who passed under mysterious circumstances, led to various preparations to shoot at Chung-Ang University.

However, just before the first shoot, Chung-Ang University, which had provided administrative support thus far, suddenly notified that filming was not possible.

Though the crank-in was delayed, the production team reached out to universities nationwide.

Needing to shoot during the vacation, urgency grew, but universities repeatedly declined the opportunity.

Someone suggested inquiring at Hannam University, where ‘Spring in Seoul’ was filmed.

Amazingly, filming permission was granted easily.

Quickly setting up base near Hannam University, the production team endeavored to create a university set but lacked funds.

Moving the location to Daejeon incurred significant costs for actors’ and staff’s accommodation.

Luckily, the representative of a hotel, who is a fan of Kim Dong-wan from ‘The Clown: Sori-kkun’ and ‘Chohon,’ offered a generous discount significantly reducing the accommodation costs.

The hotel provided bottled water daily to the parched staff and actors, shooting in the hot summer.

The university set was created with generous support from Hannam University.

Coincidentally, during the vacation, permission was granted to use school items to set up in empty clubrooms.

University professors watching the protest scenes instructed how to protest, and after shooting, sponsored dinners for the crew and actors.

Thanks to this support, actors and staff who were eating 2,000 won kimbap daily could afford 4,000 won kimbap some days.

Labor support was immense, too.

From transporting barricades to offering school supplies, Hannam University workers supported the production wholeheartedly.

Astonishingly, laborers from both KFTU and KCTU appeared as extras in the film.

For those familiar with Korean labor history, the appearance of both federations’ workers side-by-side on the film poster is likely significant.

Both major federations supported ‘Chohon’ production. However, ‘Chohon’ is by no means a political film.

What might be seen as an anachronistic movie, only resonates with our current era by coincidence. ‘Chohon’ tells a tale of a union long vanished, yet now revived in different forms—labor and student solidarity.

Solidarity between workers and (university) students.

During that period, student music groups received many requests to assist with worker strikes, and the unions joined forces with student councils and music groups to lead protests.

In the plaza of the film, numerous flags wave as everyone raises their voices in song.

Someone sings at the forefront, yet the song belongs to everyone in the plaza, not the single singer.

Someone waves the flag, but it belongs to all present, not the individual.

Although ‘Chohon’ doesn’t recount modern stories, they mirror today.

Why would a grand ideology be needed to sing together and wave flags, to speak out against injustice?

Why is a grand ideology necessary, when demanding fair compensation for labor?

‘Chohon’ drives this narrative simply and resolutely.

Though its narrative bears fractures and divides focus between labor and academic stories, it is filled with the fantasy of saving the world through song, and the resoluteness brings profound emotion.

The song allows us to dream of that day.

A dream yet fulfilled but still pushing forward.

The film features 11 folk songs, including ‘Four Seasons’ with its lines “Though red and yellow flowers fill the field, the sewing machine still turns, it goes on,” ‘March for the Beloved’ with its lines about leaving behind love, honor, and names, and ‘The Day Will Come’ with its lines “On the day, missing brothers, painful memories, those dreams weren’t in vain.”

While some post-1992 songs are featured, what’s incorrect about that?

The era of ‘Once In a Lifetime’ echoing in the square alongside the federation’s flags and Dae-man’s fiery man flag and fan chants has arrived.

The fantasy meets reality in the film.

Lastly,

‘Chohon’ presents poignant and wished we still had scenes.

In the climax, workers rally a large Taegukgi.

Indeed, the Taegukgi was present during independence movements, 4.19, 5.18, 6.10, and the 2002 World Cup.

‘Chohon’ reminds us of how our most cherished flag is the Taegukgi.

Jeon Hyeong-hwa, Journalist brofire@edaily.co.kr