"A powerful indictment of systemic racism and the criminal justice system" – The Chicago Reader

“Extraordinarily moving... what documentary filmmaking should strive for” – RogerEbert.com

Join us for the riveting documentary FREE CHOL SOO LEE, opening at IFC Center on August 12. A MUBI Release, this revelatory Sundance selection from journalists Julie Ha and Eugene Yi chronicles the story of Chol Soo Lee, a Korean-American whose wrongful murder conviction ignited an unprecedented social movement. Drawing on rich archival footage and personal accounts, the film forms an urgent testament to the power of collective action and the human cost of incarceration.

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. Sentenced to life, he spends years fighting to survive until investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented push for social action that would unite Asian Americans and inspire a new generation of activists.

Nearly five decades later, award-winning journalists Julie Ha and Eugene Yi excavate this largely unknown yet essential history in their riveting Sundance selection Free Chol Soo Lee. Combining rich archival footage, firsthand accounts, and narration drawn from personal writings, this poignant documentary paints an intimate portrait of the complex man at the center of a movement and serves as an urgent reminder that his legacy is more relevant than ever.

All film showings will take place at IFC Center, 323 6th Avenue.

The Korea Society will host a special Q&A with Julie Ha and Eugene Yi on Sunday, August 14th, after the 5:50 PM showing.

Use a special discount code KOREASOC, which can be applied to any showings; online purchase only.