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Relay Race

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World Premiere, Wide Angle: Documentary Competition, 2025

Relay Race

이어달리기

Director KO Hyoju

0Watchlist

★Avg. rating

Score

Competitive sectionBIFF Mecenat Award, Special mention

Family/ChildTrue StoryDisaster

A man runs through the crisp early morning air—through the woods, mountains, and roads of Jeju. He runs day and night, even in a marathon. Yet his heart remains trapped in the Sewol ferry on April 16, 2014. Kim Dongsoo, who survived the tragedy, became known as the ‘hero in blue pants.’ The nation watched his final rescue efforts, and later, the news of his self-harm during the Sewol ferry incident hearings. But he remembers nothing of the last five minutes of that day. A story about Kim and his family, Relay Race is a film about trauma. Though film is utterly inadequate to capture the invisible, Ko Hyoju’s camera remains like air by his family’s side, transparently reflecting their inner worlds as they struggle to live with their pain. This is a searing work that approaches the deepest wounds of the Sewol ferry tragedy, yet also a brilliant family drama that gently touches our aching hearts.

Programme note by KANG Sowon

Stills5

Relay Race 1

Relay Race 2

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Relay Race 4

Relay Race 5

Screenings3

Sun, 09/21

17:0018:53

CGV Centum City 3

270Guest Q&AKK, Korean subtitles + Korean dialogue

Mon, 09/22

13:0014:53

CGV Centum City 4

355Guest Q&ASubtitles unknown

Wed, 09/24

17:0018:28

CGV Centum City 7

517Subtitles unknown

Film details

Director: KO Hyoju
Original title: 이어달리기
Country/Region: Korea
Year: 2025
Length: 88min
Section: Wide Angle: Documentary Competition
Edition: Busan International Film Festival 2025, No. 30
Original language: Korean
Premiere: World Premiere
Format: DCP, Color
Selection: Competitive section
Elsewhere: Festival page Letterboxd TMDB

Director

KO Hyoju

Credits

Director: KO Hyoju
Producer: KO Hyoju
Cast: Dongsoo KIM, Hyeongsuk KIM, Yeram KIM, Yena KIM
Cinematography: KO Hyoju, Jongseok BYEON
Editing: KO Hyoju, Jieun BANPARK
Music: Minsuk KANG
World sales: Cinema DAL

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