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Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Documentary ‘State Organs' Screens at Seoul Film Festival Despite Pressure to Cancel
The award-winning documentary 'State Organs' was screened at a film festival in South Korea's capital on May 30, after organizers were forced to change venues three times due to ' .' The film exposes a ' harrowing government-run organ harvesting operation ' in China, seven years gathering evidence and interviewing families of victims to complete the documentary. The Seoul Larkspur International Film Festival, an annual event centered on the themes of justice, freedom, and human rights, selected 'State Organs' as its opening film. Other films spotlighting human rights abuses in China and North Korea were also scheduled, with organizers reporting significant pressure from unnamed sources while finalizing the screening list. The festival's opening ceremony was ultimately held at KBS Hall, at the Korean Broadcasting System headquarters in Seoul—but not without obstacles. , one of the event's guest speakers, praised the organizers' perseverance and public support. 'I've seen real hope,' Tae said on stage, addressing the packed hall. 'When I first received the invitation, I had no idea how many people would come.' Related Stories 5/22/2025 5/14/2025 'Although we lack government support and haven't secured major sponsorships or donations, we'll continue to speak out for freedom, justice, and human rights,' Tae added. A former North Korean diplomat who to South Korea in 2016, Tae served in the 21st National Assembly and currently holds the position of Secretary General at the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a bipartisan presidential advisory body. Last-Minute Cancellations The Seoul Larkspur International Film Festival team spent a full year preparing for the five-day festival, which was held from May 30 to June 3. Initially, they arranged screenings at CGV, one of Korea's top cinema chains. After CGV pulled out, organizers moved the event to MEGABOX Dongdaemun, another major theater operator. However, on the eve of the festival's opening, MEGABOX unilaterally canceled all screenings, citing the ' ' of the films. This left organizers scrambling to relocate the event at the last minute. Director Calls for Investigation Raymond Zhang, director of 'State Organs,' told The Epoch Times that during screenings in Taiwan last year, his team received hundreds of threats via email and social media and faced online harassment from Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-aligned networks. 'I hope Korean authorities investigate whether Chinese interference was involved in the cancellations and bring the truth to light,' Zhang said. (L-R) Panel host Roman Balmakov, film director Raymond Zhang, and Wang Zhiyuan, director of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, speak during a panel discussion after a screening of "State Organs" at Village East by Angelika in New York City on Nov. 9, 2024. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times 'This Crime Must Be Stopped' Min Kyung-wook, a former Korean lawmaker and presidential spokesperson, shared his reaction after viewing the documentary. The 'testimonies of families struggling in pain, the firsthand accounts of doctors involved in [extracting organs], and the confessions of police and soldiers who once carried out persecution and torture left me so shocked that I wished none of it were true,' he told The Epoch Times. Min condemned the CCP's forced organ harvesting of mainly Falun Gong practitioners, calling it 'a crime against humanity.' 'It's almost beyond belief that such atrocities are being systematically carried out to suppress faith, elevated to the level of state-sponsored, industrial-scale operations,' he said. 'I hope the truth reaches not just the Korean people, but the global community—so these crimes can be stopped as soon as possible.' 'We must stop this brutal slaughter from continuing. We must pay attention. We must act,' Lee told The Epoch Times after watching the film. 'If Koreans Don't Wake Up, We'll Become Another China' Dayner Kim, a well-known South Korean YouTuber with over 288,000 subscribers, also spoke out after attending the State Organs screening. He said the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and organ harvesting is widely known, but the film's focus on a single family presents that reality with a depth that's emotionally devastating. 'It left me with a profound sense of grief and solidarity,' Kim said. Kim also condemned the sudden cancellation of multiple human rights films at MEGABOX. 'There are forces in South Korea working in tandem with the CCP to block any content that criticizes or exposes its crimes. That's why we're seeing sponsorships withdrawn, venues revoked, and films banned,' Kim said in an interview after the screening. Other films affected by the last-minute cancellation include ' ,' ' ,' and ' .' The first two films depict the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual faith, in China, and the third film is a documentary on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement in 2019. He added a pointed warning: 'If the Korean people aren't outraged—if we don't wake up—this country could become another China, no different from a nation under CCP rule.' Lee, from the University of Ulsan, expressed deep frustration over the obstacles the film faced in being screened, calling it 'painful and infuriating.' 'What kind of sovereign nation are we if a film can't even be shown freely?' he asked. 'We're seeing clear evidence that the CCP has deeply infiltrated many sectors in South Korea—politics, the arts, academia. It's heartbreaking.' While condemning the CCP for its interference in South Korea, Lee reminds people to distinguish Chinese people from the CCP. 'The film draws a clear distinction between the two—that's what makes this film so meaningful,' Lee said. 'The Chinese people must be freed from the CCP's oppression, and South Korea must break free from its influence,' Lee added. Organ Tourism and the Urgency of Exposure A 2017 by South Korea's TV Chosun revealed that with low domestic organ donation rates, only 10 percent of the 32,000 patients in need ever receive a transplant. As a result, many Koreans seek quicker options in China, where wait times are shorter and access is easier—despite growing concerns over the source of those organs. State Organs is now featured on the website of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting ( ), an organization founded by medical professionals to expose and end forced organ harvesting practices. The film is no longer available on the internet. DAFOH describes forced organ harvesting as a 'crime against humanity' and works globally to promote ethical medical standards and protect human dignity. Cindy Song, one of the producers of 'State Organs,' emphasized the importance of the film's message for Korean audiences. 'The victims in the film are from Qingdao, which is just across the sea from South Korea,' she said. 'I believe it's important for the Korean public to hear this story.' An Jing contributed to this report.
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Major South Korean Theater Abruptly Cancels Human Rights Film Festival Bookings
On the eve of the 5th Seoul Larkspur International Film Festival ( The abrupt decision came from MEGABOX Dongdaemun, the official screening venue of SLIFF, one day before the festival's opening on May 30, affecting multiple films documenting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) human rights abuses. Organizers said they were shocked, and filmmakers said they were outraged. 'This is the first time I've seen something like this happen in Korea,' said Heo Eun-doh, SLIFF's general director and chief curator. 'A theater unilaterally canceling international human rights films—there's no question this was due to external pressure.' MEGABOX is one of Korea's largest theater chains, with more than 100 locations nationwide. According to the SLIFF organizers, they had provided all the materials to the Dongdaemun branch, had signed a contract, and had paid the full rental fee upon the approval that had been stamped by MEGABOX headquarters. Heo told The Epoch Times that his team had been monitoring ticket sales and had found that everything suddenly vanished. 'When we called, they told us, 'We don't support festivals with political nature,'' he said. Related Stories 5/30/2025 5/30/2025 Ticket sales for the festival began just the night before, on May 28, and some showings—including the May 31 screening of ' 'State Organs,' a 76-minute documentary produced by Peabody Award-winner Raymond Zhang, follows the perilous search of two families for their missing loved ones in China, according to the film's synopsis, revealing evidence of state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting, a practice unique to China that involves the killing of the organ donor. Zhang spent Zhang refuted the political allegations by the Megabox theater. 'This is not a political film—it addresses universal values such as humanity and human rights,' he said. 'I believe the sudden cancellation in Korea was driven by interference from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When the film was screened in Taiwan, I received over a hundred threatening emails and messages and was targeted by pro-CCP cyberattacks. I didn't expect similar tactics to appear in South Korea.' Threats of mass shootings, bomb detonations, and systematic hacking were Other films affected by the last-minute cancellation include ' Despite the setback, Zhang emphasized his belief in South Korean society. 'I still believe Korea is a free and democratic country, and its citizens won't be swayed by this kind of pressure,' he said. 'Violation of Artistic and Expressive Freedom' SLIFF is the only film festival in South Korea dedicated to global human rights issues, according to Heo. He said that he and his team had spent a whole year preparing for the film festival, and described the last-minute cancellation as a devastating blow to the festival and a serious violation of free expression, attributing the cancellation to outside political pressure. 'This was not an internal decision. This was a forced shutdown—clearly influenced by external forces. It's a serious violation of artistic and expressive freedom,' Heo said. He said that what is happening now in South Korea is similar to what happened in Hong Kong in 2019, as depicted in 'Revolution of Our Times.' He said this documentary on Hong Kong's democracy movement serves as an example of why these films matter. 'No one has the right to strip away artistic or expressive freedom. And I believe the Korean public understands that. Think about it—a theater unilaterally labeling international human rights films as 'political' and pulling them while tickets are still on sale? There's no way this came from Koreans themselves,' he said. Heo pledged to keep fighting. 'We will not be silenced. We will not back down. We will stand firm, and in the end, we believe justice will prevail,' he said. 'If we remain silent in the face of this kind of censorship, we're not just giving up on art—we're giving up on democracy itself. This cannot be brushed aside. We will make sure the truth is known throughout South Korea and call on people to stand with us. That is our unwavering position.' The film festival organizers have managed to screen 'State Organs' for one listing in KBS Hall, Seoul, on May 30. The documentary has screened in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan, and is The Epoch Times reached out to the Megabox Dongdaemun branch, but the call was not answered. An Jing contributed to this report.
