Caitlyn Jordan is the director and producer of the Girl of Peace documentary. The documentary features Yuna Shawver, a Korean-American artist who journeys through the United States and South Korea to create a zine depicting her artistic interpretation of the history of the Korean "Comfort Women" and the Girl of Peace statues. The documentary won "Best First-Time Documentary Film" in the Boden International Film Festival.
You directed Girl of Peace, a documentary that not only examines the stories of “comfort women” who faced wartime sexual violence but also follows Yuna Shawver’s journey in exploring the “comfort women” movement and using her artistry to help the cause. How did you become interested in this dark part of history, and what inspired you to direct a documentary focused on it?
I discovered my passion for feminism and learning about women's movements while studying at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame. I would try to cover as many Take Back the Night events for my school's paper or go to sexual assault prevention trainings so I could be a better ally to women who have experienced sexual violence.
In 2016, I spent the summer in South Korea as a study abroad student. My teacher invited the class to go to a Wednesday Demonstration and I took up the offer. I had heard murmurs of who the “comfort women '' were before coming to the demonstration and I knew that something happened to them during WWII, but I had little knowledge on the gravity of their experiences.
The first thing I noticed at the demonstration was how many police officers were at the protest. In the sea of police and protestors, I saw the Girl of Peace statue. It was odd because despite being surrounded by people, the young girl depicted in the statue seemed to be in her own world; A lonely place filled with strong determination to fight a long fight. My teacher explained who the statue represented and the Wednesday Demonstration, an ongoing protest that was started in 1992 by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and continues to happen every Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
Learning about the “comfort women” from this experience lit a fire under me. I was so frustrated that I had never heard of the young girls, between the ages of 11 and 25, who not only were treated inhumanely through acts of sexual violence and torture but also had to continue to fight for their stories to even be heard let alone recognized. I felt that I needed to help share the women's stories to folks in the states.
When I returned to the US, I focused my thesis work on the histories of the “comfort women.” I brought my thesis research to my graduate program and convinced other students that the story needed to be more widely known.
Can you walk us through the production process from conception to completion? What were some of the challenges you encountered along the way?
Every project comes with its own kinds of challenges. I had to convince my school that I could do an intense project that involved international travel and I had to figure out who I wanted on the crew. Not only did we have to work with Yuna remotely because she lived on the other side of the country, we all had to keep up with our classes as well as focus on this long term project that could fail at any minute. And, to be honest, it almost failed to take off a couple times for numerous reasons such as funding, finding a good crew, finding a translator, editing remotely because of the pandemic and the death of our director of photography/editor Leann Daniel but, we pushed through.
One big challenge the movie faced was funding. I had no idea how I was going to get a crew over to South Korea. I was incredibly lucky to be able to work with Jenny Park (@asunnydisposish) and Yuna Shawver on designing a Kickstarter campaign that ended up raising a majority of the money needed for the project. I was so thankful for the folks who donated their money for the documentary. It was an amazing experience to see how people from all over the world wanted this project to be completed.
I also had to face my own self-doubt while getting the project running. I had so many days where I found myself on the floor just staring at the ceiling and asking myself "How the heck am I going to do this? Can I do this? What if I fail?" Those days weren't the best but I pushed through the doubt and tears because I knew this project was a lot bigger than myself.
How did you approach storytelling and filmmaking to effectively convey the experiences and voices of “comfort women?” Can you discuss any specific creative choices or techniques you used to engage and connect with your audience?
While working on this film, I knew it would be unethical to shy away from any of the suffering the halmoni experienced at the hellacious "comfort stations." I think that violence against women and sexual violence has been desensitized as a whole. Therefore, however upsetting it may be to the audience, I made sure that the intensity of the interviews and imagery was left in the film such as the art that both Yuna and the halmoni made to depict the “comfort stations” and how the “comfort women” were treated at the camps.
Another intensity I wanted to bring attention to was their age. Skin is a storyteller in itself with its wrinkles, spots and scars. The women faced so much hardship in their lives with not only their forced experiences with the Japanese Imperial Army but also with their years of continued fighting to be heard by the world. The signs of age on women’s bodies are often stereotyped as ugly and weak. I wanted to turn this narrative on its head. Showing the details of their skin in an unabashed way, I believe, showed the depth of their will and fight.
I also wanted the audience to learn about the histories of the halmoni in an approachable way. I thought it important that the film did not shame the audience for not knowing the history. I knew that could immediately paralyze and turn the audience away from the issues of the “comfort women” completely. We were so lucky to have Yuna as the main subject of the film. At the beginning of filming, Yuna's knowledge of the “comfort women” was about the same as potential audiences; no one is better than the other because everyone is learning together. Yuna is such an accessible subject as well. While she is learning about the “comfort women” she also questions her role in the world. That's very relatable; everyone has had or will have a moment in their life where they ask "Who am I? Why am I here?" As a director, I really tried to lean in on Yuna’s learning moments.
What was it like to interact with “comfort women” survivors during the filming? How did their stories and perspectives impact you personally and professionally?
I was incredibly nervous when meeting the women at the House of Sharing. I had come up with a little spiel for the translator to say before the interview: If they felt at all uncomfortable during the interview, we would immediately stop. I’m embarrassed now when I think about my nerves because I did not take into account how I did not need to protect anyone because the women were so ready to tell their stories. They had the resolve to tell their stories without filters; they did not care about societal expectations. Both women just wanted their stories heard.
My embarrassment grew after our interview sessions. I’m not sure what I thought the women living at the House of Sharing did all day. I guess I painted a picture in my head of the ladies always looking out a window or preparing statements to demand reparations for what happened to them. The image in my head completely took their human identity away. Or rather, I painted them as just victims, which, of course, was so wrong on my part. Rather than act how I assumed they would, the halmoni invited us to eat mandarin oranges with them. They peeled the oranges and gave us the fruit. They were insistent that we eat, asking if we wanted more because they did not want us to leave hungry. We sat there, eating the fruit, smiling as they spoke to us in broken English. They wanted to know our names, where we were from and why we were at the House of Sharing. It completely knocked sense into me. Yes, the halmoni were victims of an incredible hell but their pasts did not define them. We were just spending time with incredibly kind halmoni.
I have definitely carried my experience of visiting the halmoni and the House of Sharing with me as a professional storyteller. I always remind myself that I cannot place my own expectations on someone, especially if they had not had the chance to tell me their story firsthand. I try to approach folks with a (researched) blank slate and have the understanding that I am the listener.
Since the documentary came out in 2022, what progress or movement have you seen regarding representation and scholarship of “comfort women?”
Two major events happened after the release of the film. First, the New York Times released a piece on Aug. 14, 2022 called “Japanese Photographer Blows Whistle on Treatment of ‘Comfort Women.” Unfortunately, according to the article “Mr. [Tsukasa] Yajima*, who runs [the House of Sharing’s] international outreach program, along with six South Korean workers at the shelter, accused managers of housing the women… in a substandard nursing facility while collecting millions of dollars in donations to enrich South Korea’s biggest and most powerful Buddhist order, Jogye.” Not only did the women suffer at the beginning of their lives but now they were allegedly being mistreated at the end of their lives.
*Mr. Yajima was our guide at the House of Sharing
Second, Lee Ok-seon, the halmoni who wore orange in the documentary, died in Dec. 2022. Hearing this news was chilling because it had only been three years since we met Lee Ok-seon, filled with energy, for the film. I knew the documentary was an important piece to make but Lee Ok-seon’s death really brought it home. We filmed the history of Lee Ok-seon that, despite her death, could be shared with the world.
Despite the news above, I do want to emphasize how much impact the documentary has had on its viewers. The film has been accepted into many film festivals across the world where it has won numerous awards and been recognized. The importance of the halmoni’s history has been and continues to be shared through this film. I have been to viewing panels where members of the audience say they had never heard of the “comfort women” and are shocked about how little they are talked about in their communities. Audience members have come up to me to ask me where they can find historic materials on the “comfort women” in order to better understand how they can support the movement. I believe that is progress for the movement in and of itself.
How does the history of “comfort women” impact the rest of the world? Why is it important that these stories are told?
The biggest enemies of any historical tragedy are silence and ignorance. When crimes against humanity are discussed in a global sense, such as the movement the halmoni started, not only is the power given back to the victims and survivors of such atrocities committed but it also encourages those to recognize and speak up about how future tragedies can be prevented. For many years, women who were victims of the “comfort stations” were silenced and were not given the space to heal. Now, because of the movement, the halmoni are not alone in their fight for recognition.
What are some steps or initiatives that viewers can take to support the “comfort women” movement and advocate for justice?
Although difficult to accept, we must understand that the halmoni will all eventually die. But that does not mean their incredible work for global peace and recognition ends.
It is up to allies to take their place and not only fight for their stories to be heard but prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. This may seem quite overwhelming, especially if one is alone in fighting for justice. But, I think that the most important thing for anyone who wants to support the halmoni’s movement is to believe in victims and survivors of sexual violence.
Saying the simple phrase “I believe you” gives so much power to the movement. That belief is how justice will be given to not only the halmoni but other survivors of wartime violence. All too often I have seen and heard stories of not only women but of all marginalized groups not having a support system. They are doubted, seen as the problem, asked horrific questions about their experiences or completely ignored. Ignorant words, thoughts or actions towards victims and survivors of sexual violence perpetuates a cycle of shame which can only be broken if more folks listen and learn about wartime violence. Make sure to share that belief too. Speak out for folks who have been historically ignored by joining allyship groups, attending marches, researching history through reliable sources, creating art or doing anything that helps lift up victims and survivors’ voices.
Thank you so much!
Learn more about Caitlyn Jordan's works here.