Beyond the Waves
Korea | 2024 | 87min | DCP | Color | Documentary | 12+
Synopsis
One hundred and twenty years ago, Korean immigrants who came to work on Hawaii’s sugar plantations endured harsh lives that went beyond mere survival, leading them to devote themselves to the cause of their homeland’s independence. The blood, sweat, and sacrifices they left on Hawaiian soil still flow deeply in the hearts of today’s Korean community.
This documentary sheds light on the lives of those early immigrants and their independence movement, while also exploring how their spirit lives on through the efforts of today’s Korean community — such as the Korean Festival, the 8.15K Hawaii Run, and the AI Restoration of Independence Activists. By tracing this legacy across generations, we aim to reflect on the meaning of identity and historical continuity. Standing on the bridge between past and present, Korea and Hawaii, the audience is invited to share in the question: “Where are my roots, and what must I pass on to future generations?”
Director JEONGTAE LEE
JEE Hyewon is a filmmaker who focuses on character-driven documentaries. Her feature debut, Singing with Angry Bird (2018), gained international recognition at IDFA and Sheffield DocFest. She directed Free Minu (2020), the opening film of the 2018 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and Home away from Home (2021), which won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Seoul Independent FF. Her recent work, Voices (2025), won the Documentary Award at the JEONJU International Film Festival for its poignant portrayal of the Jeju 4·3 Uprising and Massacre through women's perspectives. She continues to explore the intersection of personal narratives and history.
Director JIHWAN SONG
JEE Hyewon is a filmmaker who focuses on character-driven documentaries. Her feature debut, Singing with Angry Bird (2018), gained international recognition at IDFA and Sheffield DocFest. She directed Free Minu (2020), the opening film of the 2018 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and Home away from Home (2021), which won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Seoul Independent FF. Her recent work, Voices (2025), won the Documentary Award at the JEONJU International Film Festival for its poignant portrayal of the Jeju 4·3 Uprising and Massacre through women's perspectives. She continues to explore the intersection of personal narratives and history.
Director JIMIN SEO
JEE Hyewon is a filmmaker who focuses on character-driven documentaries. Her feature debut, Singing with Angry Bird (2018), gained international recognition at IDFA and Sheffield DocFest. She directed Free Minu (2020), the opening film of the 2018 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and Home away from Home (2021), which won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Seoul Independent FF. Her recent work, Voices (2025), won the Documentary Award at the JEONJU International Film Festival for its poignant portrayal of the Jeju 4·3 Uprising and Massacre through women's perspectives. She continues to explore the intersection of personal narratives and history.