“The best independent feature film of the year.”- Pusan International Film Festival
The Unforgiven scooped a multitude of awards at Pusan and screened as part of Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year.
Described by the Fipresci judges as “a spirited and forceful ‘kick in the groin' to Korean militarism and its traditions”, Yoon Jong-bin's impressive debut feature was his graduation thesis at university.
Himself a participant in Korea's mandatory military service, Yoon exposes a culture of discipline and training where a system of bodily punishment and group machismo - with a motto of ‘eat or be eaten' - is considered acceptable and even character building.
Belying his lack of experience, Yoon directs with a clinical eye and allows much of the action to unfold through conversation. Interestingly, he was granted permission to shoot inside barracks of the Korean Defence Department, although it has taken legal action against him after seeing the less-than-complimentary results. The seemingly improvised style of acting gives this film the feel of a documentary and hammers home the despicable treatment of these men.