Canberra Premiere Australian Documentary
‘Passage to Pusan’-A grieving mother’s epic journey to find a son lost in war
Two Free Screenings(Thur 9 Nov 15:30-17:00 Coombs Lecture Theatre ANU)
Mon, 13 Nov 16:00-17:30 Coombs Extensions ANU
When the son of Australian mother Thelma Healy was killed fighting in the Korean War she almost lost the will to live. Vincent was her No1 son, her golden-haired boy, the linchpin of the family and the father his nine siblings never had.
His death and burial in cold foreign soil tore his big family apart and broke his mother’s heart.
Thelma vowed that before she died she would find Vince and find some peace.
So began a 10-year journey that took a brave and determined middle-aged woman into the unknown, to war torn South Korea.
Based on the non-fiction book Passage to Pusan by Australian journalist Louise Evans, the documentary follows Louise as she retraces her grand mother Thelma’s epic Passage to Pusan to South Korea.
It is a gripping and powerful story of love, resilience and redemption.
– View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzqS-H_uuKw
– View audience reaction here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kotBdd8tJ20&t=21s
Documentary Executive Producer Sinyoung An said Passage to Pusan is a unique collaboration between the Korean Cultural Centre Australia(KCC), the cultural arm of the South Korean government; Arirang TV, South Korea’s English-language broadcaster; and Australian journalist Louise Evans.
“I was deeply moved by the story of Thelma Healy when I read the book Passage to Pusan and, like Thelma, I immediately embarked on a mission – to take this compelling story to a wider audience via the big screen,” the KCC’s Director An said.
“Our role at the Korean Cultural Centre is to foster cultural ties between Australia and Korea and this project helps affirm our relationship as global partners with a significant shared history.
“We adopted the book Passage to Pusan because it is an authentic, first-hand account of the devastating impact the Korean War(1950-53) had on an Australian family left behind after their beloved brother Vincent died fighting to keep South Korea free and democratic.
“We invested our resources to producing this documentary because the story deserves a wider audience via the big screen. It is a story that does not end with the final credits. It is an enduring story that spans several generations and transcends cultural and language barriers.”
Australian Documentary Director David(Dongseok) Park said Passage to Pusan was filmed on location in Brisbane, Sydney and South Korea by an Australian crew from the Korean Cultural Centre and a Korean team from Arirang.
“Passage to Pusan has united Australia and Korea on a creative and cultural level but also on a deeper personal and emotional level,” Director Park said.
“It honours Australian soldiers like Vincent Healy who sacrificed their lives to defend South Korea. It also pays tribute to mothers like Thelma Healy whose lives and families were devastated by a war fought 8,000km from their front doors.
“We are very proud to bring this great story to the big screen and hope that the many people who see the documentary will remember the sacrifice of all war veterans. We can never forget.”
Passage to Pusan author and documentary narrator Louise Evans said it was a rare privilege to work with the Korean Cultural Centre and Arirang to turn her family’s story into a full-scale documentary.
“Retracing my grand mother’s pilgrimage to South Korea with a camera crew in tow proved a very challenging and emotional mission,” Evans said.
“I hope I have honoured my grand mother’s journey and I’m sure Thelma would be very proud her story has resonated with so many people from different cultures.”
Passage to Pusan is produced by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia with assistance from the Australia-Korea Foundation, an arm of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
– For more information, interviews or images contact:
.Australian Director David(Dongseok) Park 0433 318 520
.Author and Narrator Louise Evans 0401 704 379
.https://www.facebook.com/passagetopusan/
.https://passagetopusan.com/
.http://www.koreanculture.org.au/
.The Touring Passage to Pusan Exhibition is being held in conjunction with the Documentary screenings at the Hedley Bull Atrium, Australian National University
From Thurs 9 Nov~Fri 17 Nov. Exhibition entry is free.
.View the Sydney Exhibition Opening Night here:
Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Commonwealth of Australia