2025 | 89MIN l Documentary

DIRECTOR JEE Hyewon

The Jeju April 3 Incident resulted in numerous fatalities. According to an official survey initiated by the Korean government in the 2000s, the count is around 14,000, but estimates suggest the actual number could range from 25,000 to 30,000. The majority of fatalities occurred as government suppression forces sought to root out armed guerrillas (78.1% of total fatalities, according to official records), consequently causing a substantial number of civilian deaths. Among them, 80% were men, which may explain why the hardships confronted by women during the incident have not been thoroughly researched or brought to light. VOICES is a documentary reflecting on the harsh history that women have faced, focusing on testimonies from four older women who lived through those times. The testimonies of those are poignant. One miraculously escaped death from a massacre after being dragged to a beach, another was stabbed seven times by the suppression forces but survived feigning death, and another lost most of her family members as part of a fugitive family. Especially the accounts of sexual violence perpetrated against women are deeply infuriating. The interspersed animations serve to reenact the incidents while also helping manage the surging anger. (Jeonju International Film Festival)