In the Absence


In the Absence is a 2018 South Korean–American short documentary film about the 2014 sinking of the MV Sewol passenger ferry in South Korea, in which three hundred people mostly school children lost their lives.

Background

The film was produced by Gary Byung-Seok Kam and directed by Yi Seung-Jun, with Seung-Jun beginning the process of interviewing the victims families on camera in 2017. The documentary is seen as separated from other documentaries about the disaster, due to the fact that it highlights the disaster and not just the events leading up to the event and/or those responsible for the tragedy.

Format

The documentary utilizes audio from first responders and government officials, aerial video from choppers, and cell phone video and multi-media messages from the victims of the ferry sinking to showcase the disaster in real time. The entire documentary is roughly 29-minutes long, and highlights how the disaster could have been avoided and the aftermath of the disaster such as the Candlelight Protests and the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye.

Awards

The documentary was awarded the 2018 grand jury prize for short competition in DOC NYC, a documentary film festival in the United States.
In the Absence was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary at the 92nd Academy Awards. Before this nomination, no South Korean film had ever been nominated for an Oscar.