Audio transcription

A Single Spark tells the story behind a crucial event in modern South Korean history: the self-immolation of factory worker Jeon Tae-il in 1971 to draw attention to the appalling workplace conditions faced by many Koreans. Jeon’s suicide is widely credited as key to the unionization of South Korean workers. Rather than a straightforward biopic, the film elaborates on Jeon’s life by supplying a parallel story: a young activist five years later is researching a biography of Jeon while going underground due to government harassment of him and his wife because of their own labor activism. A Single Spark renews the political fervor underpinning Park’s sophisticated filmmaking, resulting in a sweeping epic made with urgent verve and compelling narrative drive. – DP