130, Suyeonggangbyeon-daero,
Haeundae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea,
48058
The Witches' Carnival
2024 | 82 MIN l Documentary
DIRECTOR PARK Ji-sun
SALES Cinesofa (coop.cinesopa@gmail.com)
Before the first feminist festival, Witches' Carnival, was held at Pusan National University in 2000, there were senior activists who had long been working for women's rights in Busan. Six labor activists, who gathered in response to a call from an old comrade, look back on the days of the 'Busan Working Women's House' in 1988, which served as a base for labor law education and the organization of social movements. The struggles of the first generation of feminists paved the way for significant milestones, including the establishment of the Busan Women's Disability Solidarity, the anti-sexual exploitation movement in Wanwol-dong, the enactment of anti-sexual violence policies at universities, and the youth-led 'School Me Too' movement. These efforts mark the beginning of the 40-year history of the Busan women's movement. Director Park Ji-sun, who had previously explored women's oral life histories in My Wonderful Career (2011), once again employs oral history and documentation techniques. While the film is limited by the absence of a central event or protagonist that the audience can connect with, it nonetheless succeeds in fulfilling its educational intent by shedding light on the intertwined themes of Busan, women, and social movements.