Be My Guest Worker
Korea, Germany | Film 70min, TV 60min | 4K | Color
Logline
A former Korean nurse dispatched to Germany in the 1960s reaches out across borders and generations to migrant women workers in today’s South Korea.
Synopsis
Sixty years ago, Korean nurses Jaesoon, Haengja, and Jungsook left for Germany. Now retired, they send their regards to migrant women workers in South Korea. In a nation that has transformed from labor exporter to labor importer, Maria, Jampasakit, and Lolita navigate life as care workers in the 21st century. This documentary explores the lives of “guest workers” across time and borders, weaving together stories of migration, resilience, and solidarity.
Director's Statement
Migration is not a past event, but an ongoing present. Through the lives of women who moved across borders for work, I’ve come to see migration as a continuous thread. By tracing the journeys of guest workers in Germany and South Korea, I found myself reflecting on my own migration—and the ethical responsibility of witnessing the lives of those who are often unseen.
Director LEE Sanhah
Born in 1996 in Seoul, Sanhah moved to Germany in 2018. She has been making the documentary Be-My-Guest-Worker between Korea and Germany and currently works as a camera director at a public news channel in Berlin.
Producer KIM Yunjeong
Made the animated-documentary Melody. Exploring films beyond genres, she focuses on works about women’s history. Currently, she is working on Be-My-Guest-Worker.
Producer BANPARK Jieun
Began LGBTAIQ activism in 2007 after the anti-discrimination bill failed. Since moving to Berlin in 2016, she directed Two People and now creates anti-racism content with GePGeMi.