Searching for Family and Home
On November 3, Boston University School of Theology celebrated the history and the experiences of the people of Korea with a screening of Dai Sil Kim-Gibson’s new documentary, People Are the Sky, followed by a Q&A with Kim-Gibson and Bishop Hee-Soo Jung. The event was free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of the Lowell Institute.
People Are the Sky follows the journey of Dai Sil Kim-Gibson (GRS ’69, STH ’69) as she journeys back to her place of birth in North Korea for the first time in 70 years. After the death of her husband, Don, Kim-Gibson goes on a search for home. This quest brings her to South Korea and then North Korea, where representatives of the North Korean government escort her to monuments and try to steer her away from asking schoolchildren personal questions.
Kim-Gibson’s journey finally takes her to her own birthplace—much changed—as she faces questions of where she can find her home and her people. The film is interwoven with historical facts, interviews and archival footage showing Japanese imperialism, the division of the North and South, and the rise of North Korea’s current leaders.
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Bishop of the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, responded to Kim-Gibson’s work by marveling, “What a risk-taking journey that she’s been through.” He praised the impact that Kim-Gibson has had “to be a voice for voiceless” and the “prophetic imagination” she shows in her work, highlighting the stories of often-forgotten people.
The film was especially resonant for Bishop Hee-Soo Jung since he himself had recently visited Korea. He said the film’s theme was one that he and the audience could relate to: “Even as a viewer of this film, we can identify what that means – the home.”
The film’s title was inspired by Dong Hak, the indigenous Korean religion and philosophy that teaches God is Ha Nu Nim—he who resides in the sky—and that all people are equal with God. This elevates common people and gives rise to the saying “People Are the Sky.”
Kim-Gibson said that this film was different from her other documentaries because it was personal, and she was part of the story. She wanted to combat misperceptions of North Korea and she wanted give a multidimensional picture that also included the historical context. She drew on her own memories of living under Japanese rule and crossing the 38th Parallel from North to South Korea.
She said she began to think of home as a person when she met her husband, Don. She did not feel at home in America as a country, but “I felt right at home with this American—a person. So from that I started thinking, ‘Home is not a place. Home is a person.’” She experienced this truth again when she visited North Korea and its people.
Making the film had its challenges. She was closely supervised by government officials who steered her away from asking certain questions and even provided their own cameraperson. Kim-Gibson persisted in independence: “When I was making this film I really understood the importance of creative disobedience. That’s what I did, from morning until night.” Although she wished she had been able to see inside the lives and homes of more Koreans, she still connected with those she met. She said the government did not censor the film and that it provided archival footage that made its way into the final cut.
STH thanks the Lowell Institute for making this screening and conversation possible. The Lowell Institute has sponsored free public lectures and other educational programs throughout the Boston area since its founding in 1836. Over the decades thousands of members of our community have attended Lowell lectures on topics ranging from science and the arts to literature and world affairs. To find out more about the film and the event, read BU Today’s Q&A with Dai Sil Kim-Gibson and Daily Free Press coverage of the event.