TRAILERS

A Rousing Doc About Activism - 'Free Chol Soo Lee' Official Trailer

by Alex Billington
July 20, 2022
Source: YouTube

"The judicial system continued to remain ignorant and insensitive." Mubi has revealed an official trailer for an acclaimed documentary film titled Free Chol Soo Lee, which first premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This remarkable film is about the power of activism and community, telling a story from the past that most may have never heard of before. Asian Americans united in the late 1970s and early 80s to free Chol Soo Lee, a Korean immigrant who was wrongly convicted of a gang murder, but once out, he self-destructs, threatening the movement's legacy and the man himself. "His series of stories helped trigger a landmark movement to free a wrongfully convicted man from death row," the filmmakers explain. "You pay attention, and it actually changes your whole world view and what might be your purpose in life. We just decided to dig in and excavate the story because we knew it was too important not to be known." This is an excellent doc film telling an fascinating story with relevant context, and compelling perspectives.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Julie Ha & Eugene Yi's doc Free Chol Soo Lee, from YouTube:

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. After spending years fighting to survive, investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement. Nearly five decades later, Free Chol Soo Lee excavates this largely unknown yet essential history to craft a portrait of the complex man at its center and provide an urgent reminder that his legacy is more relevant than ever. Free Chol Soo Lee is co-directed by filmmakers Julie Ha & Eugene Yi (also a film editor), both making their feature directorial debut with this project. It's produced by Julie Ha, Sona Jo, Su Kim, Jean Tsien, and Eugene Yi. This initially premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Mubi will debut Free Chol Soo Lee in select US theaters starting on August 12th, 2022 soon this summer, and in UK cinemas on August 19th. With a special nationwide (US only) screening event on August 17th - for more info. Who's intrigued?

Find more posts: Documentaries, To Watch, Trailer