The Netflix documentary 'I Am God' has its second story 'I Am a Survivor' set to be released on August 15 (Friday).
'I Am a Survivor' is the second story of 'I Am God,' a documentary series that records the stories of four horrific incidents that shocked South Korea and the voices of the survivors. In this season, we will hear genuine stories that have never been heard before through the mouths of survivors of the incidents that everyone thinks they know.
'I Am a Survivor' is the second story of 'I Am God,' which was released on Netflix in 2023 and shocked the world. Director Cho Seong-hyun shone a spotlight on the dark sides of those who called themselves gods and shook South Korea, highlighting the victims suffering from this. It created a significant reaction, ranking first among South Korean documentary series shortly after its release and recording fifth globally, and it received the Presidential Citation at the 2023 Korea Content Awards for contributions to the development of the broadcasting and video industry.
'I Am a Survivor' is not a simple documentary that just records past events. It warns of future tragedies that are still ongoing and may be repeated. This series is planned around four incidents with a total of eight episodes. Even after 'I Am God,' it depicts the struggles of Maple, who did not give up against the huge power trying to protect the cult JMS (Christian Gospel Mission) and its leader Jung Myung-seok, amidst the continuing investigations and stalking of the production team and police intervention in the incidents. It uncovers how public power has protected and produced criminals in our society.
The documentary also examines the Busan Brothers Home, where thousands lost their lives or went missing due to illegal public power actions, marking one of the worst human rights abuses in modern Korean history, and the case of the Jisunpa, which built a murder factory driven by hatred against the wealthy, committing serial murders. It revisits the structural problems in our society that have been overlooked and inevitably repeated by listening to the voices of survivors who returned from those four hells, including the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store caused by shoddy construction and corruption, and the irresponsibility of regulatory agencies.
Director Cho Seong-hyun explained the reason behind planning 'I Am a Survivor,' stating, "The suffering inflicted by someone who believed themselves to be God at one time. Witnessing Ms. Maple, a miracle woman who did not stop as a victim but fought against a huge cult and ultimately won, I discovered 'the greatness of survival.' That is why I no longer call Ms. Maple and the victims 'victims' but rather 'survivors.' Over two years of reporting, we were able to hear the hell that the survivors had to endure, the realizations that only survivors can have, and the 'reasons for survival' that we need to hear."
Furthermore, Director Cho Seong-hyun noted, "I witnessed the repetition of the four 'past incidents' under the protection of this society's system" and added, "'I Am a Survivor' will show us living in a 'cult society' beyond just cult religions."
'I Am a Survivor,' which will explore the truths that no one knew and the structural harms in our society through the survivors, will be released exclusively on Netflix on August 15 (Friday).
[Photo] Netflix
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