Free Chol Soo Lee

Friday, August 12 - Thursday, September 8, 2022

Q&As with directors Julie Ha and Eugene Yi following the 8pm shows on Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 and the 5:50pm show on Sunday, August 14

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. Sentenced to life, he spends years fighting to survive until investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement that would unite Asian Americans and inspire a new generation of activists. 

Nearly five decades later, FREE CHOL SOO LEE excavates this largely unknown yet essential history, crafting an intimate portrait of the complex man at its center and serving as an urgent reminder that his legacy is more relevant than ever.

  • Running Time 83 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor mubi
  • Director Julie Ha, Eugene Yi
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil, Closed Captioning

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.