The Apology

In an early scene in The Apology, we see and hear a group of aggressive young men carrying Japanese flags and banners, shouting “Whores, go home!” and “F***ing communists!”. The scene is almost absurd, but all the more painful to watch, as the target of all this rage is a small group of women in their nineties. They are so-called “comfort women”, an expression used to describe the women and girls that were taken as sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War II. So many as 200 000 individuals from countries occupied by Japan may have been forced into such slavery. Among the few who are still alive, some now demand an apology from the Japanese government, who are reluctant to do so. The Apology follows three of the women – Cao from China, Adela from the Philippines, and Gil from South Korea – and chronicles their fight for justice. Per Eirik Gilsvik

THE CRITICAL ROOM: SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN WAR

After the screening we invite director Tiffany Hsiung to discuss sexual violence in war with Anette Bringedal Houge who has written a PhD about perpetrators of sexual violence in war, and managing director of FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development, Gro Lindstad. What are the consequences of such violence for the people and societies inflicted by them, and what can the international society do to try to prevent it from taking place?

The event is a collaboration between Films From the South and FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development.

Tiffany Hsiung is a filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Since 2009 she has worked with survivors of sex slavery, and supported their cause in many ways, including a presentation on the subject in the United Nations. The Apology was won numerous awards, such as the prize for best documentary at the Busan film festival in South Korea.