Haje Village in Gunsan was emptied after thousands of residents were forcibly relocated because of its proximity to a U.S. military ammunition depot. Jeon Jinhyeon, who ran Wangnim Supermarket, remains steadfastly in the deserted village after all his neighbors have left. Another resident has roots even deeper in Haje: a 600-year-old hackberry tree. As the expansion of the U.S. military base threatens to erase Haje from the map, both Jinhyeon and the tree face being torn from the ground. Gunsan residents Yun, Gwanghee, and Jungseo begin a campaign to protect them, while the ancient tree brings to light stories of Haje that had long remained buried.

Haje follows eight years in a fishing village in Gunsan where the Saemangeum reclamation project and the expansion of a U.S. military base brought waves of forced displacement, destroying human and nonhuman ecosystems alike. Hwang Yun has pursued these concerns with remarkable consistency in Silent Forest (2004), One Day on the Road (2006), An Omnivorous Family’s Dilemma (2014), and Sura: A Love Song (2023). A sequel to Sura, Haje traces the collapse of a once-utopian community, the expulsion of its residents, and the village’s eventual demise, affirming the values of life, peace, and care.
The film’s heartrending search for solidarity, renewal, and coexistence against the imperatives of industry and military logistics addresses one of the defining concerns of our time. With the assurance of a veteran filmmaker, Hwang summons the spirits wandering through the wasteland Haje has become, stands beside those fighting to recover the beauty of communal life, and tenaciously records nonhuman beings as they disappear. Images of the ecosystem one can hardly imagine capturing—toads, birds, and insects rendered in exquisite detail—hold a beauty of their own. Rooted in the present rather than nostalgia, Haje moves toward an inclusive future that humanity must embrace together.

I first learned about Haje in 2018 while filming my previous documentary, Sura. I was shocked by the sight of a village reduced to something resembling the ruins of war. Even more startling was the realization that I had known nothing about thousands of residents being driven out and an entire community disappearing because of a U.S. military base. I began filming on my very first visit, and eight years have since passed. Wars continue to rage across the world. Yet beside us stands a tree that has endured centuries of hardship. I made this film hoping to share with fellow citizens of the world the strength and courage that this hackberry tree has given me.

 

• ProducerHWANG Yun

HWANG Yun | oneday2008@naver.com