The Apology

Saturday, June 10, 2017

US Premiere!

Grandma Gil in South Korea, Grandma Cao in China, and Grandma Adela in the Philippines were amongst thousands of girls and young women who were sexually exploited by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, many through kidnapping, coercion and sexual slavery. Some 70 years after their imprisonment, and after decades living in silence and shame about their past, the wounds are still fresh for these three former, now elderly, “comfort women.” Despite multiple formal apologies from the Japanese government issued since the early 1990s, there has been little justice; the courageous resolve of these women moves them to fight and seize their last chance to share first-hand accounts of the truth with their families and the world to ensure this horrific chapter of history is neither repeated nor forgotten.

“Given the rise of nationalism, xenophobia, and misogyny in the world today, the women’s stories in The Apology are very powerful reminders of why these attitudes are dangerous, and tell us how they destroy real people’s lives.” -Maya Wang, China researcher, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch

Screening as part of the Human Right Watch Film Festival.

  • Language In Bisaya, Mandarin, English, Japanese, and Korean with English subtitles
  • Year 2016
  • Running Time 104 minutes
  • Director Tiffany Hsiung

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.