The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin

This film screening series presents three films that explore experiences and memories related to violence, imperialism, and the Cold War in East Asia. By critically examining the Japanese armed group's resistance against neo-imperialism (East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front), the unrecorded memories of women in U.S. camptowns in South Korea (The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin), and the herstory of the April Third Incident that spans Japan, South Korea, and North Korea (Soup and Ideology), these films delve into the enduring impacts of state violence and socio-cultural trauma. These discussions are essential not only for understanding the past but also for addressing its ongoing resonance in contemporary society.

Synopsis

In a shanty village, next to the US Military Base soon to be demolished, lives a former US military comfort woman, Park Insun. Collecting trashes for daily living, she has several visits from various seekers. One night after she discovers the death of her colleague, she is spotted by the Death Messengers and be the object of examination. Considering the nameless women in the town who will become ghosts after their silent death, the Death Messengers try to make a fiction so that they could take them to Death. However, Park decides to make her own ‘true story’ to fight back the extinction.

Program

3:00 - 3:05 Introduction
3:05 - 5:10 Screening
5:10 - 5:25 Break
5:25 - 6:00 Conversation with Professor Lisa Yoneyama

Directors: Dong-ryung Kim, Kyoung-tae Park / Star: Insun Park / 2022 / South Korea / Running time: 115 min

The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin explores the unrecorded memories of U.S. camptowns in South Korea, raising the critical question: Can the subaltern speak? By juxtaposing the relentless forces of capitalism and developmentalism that obscure the history of the Cold War and the collusion between the South Korean state and U.S. imperialism, this horror fantasy film encourages us to consider how the untold stories of women can be captured and shared. Recognizing the challenges of straightforward documentation, the film follows Park In-soon, a camptown woman, on her journey to craft her own narrative. Her story highlights the complexities of representing women's experiences within the confines of established discourse.

This film screening is part of the Uncovering Memories: Violence, Cold War, and East Asia Series.