A South Korean film on former President Moon Jae-in's life after office will premiere at the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival this month, the organizer said Monday.
“This is the President," which will be shown on April 29, documents the "down-to-earth aspects" of the politician who has retired to a quiet farming village, rather than detailing controversies and conflicts in the political arena, according to the festival website.
In a 35-second trailer, Moon, Korea's leader from 2017 until last year, introduces himself as a person who “likes to play more than work.”
“The project started from asking why a former human rights lawyer, Moon Jae-in, decided to become president and how his life turned out after completing his presidential term in 2022,” JIFF’s press release quoted the film director Lee Chang-jae as saying.
“This is the President” is Lee’s second documentary of a former Korean president. He made the 2017 film “Our President,” which depicted the dramatic life story of the late President Roh Moo-hyun.
The upcoming documentary is one of the three films of Jeonju Cinema Project, a JIFF program that aims to discover interesting movies and creators as well as promote the creative content business.
The other two selections, South Korean director Yun Je-ro’s “Breath” and Spanish filmmaker Lois Patino’s “Samsara," will also be shown during the film festival running from April 27 to May 6.
Meanwhile, “This is the President” has met its funding goal of 30 million won ($22,760) on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug.
“The funding aims to secure screens at multiplex theaters to create an opportunity for more people to watch the film at the theater,” the film’s distributor, M Project, said in a statement Monday.
"This is the President" is expected to hit local theaters on May 11.
