The Apology: Remembering Japanese Military 'Comfort Women'

Join us for a movie screening of The Apology on the International Memorial Day for Japanese Military 'Comfort Women'! 

Between 1932-1945, approximately 20,000 “comfort women” had been kidnapped or otherwise coerced into sexual slavery in at least 125 “comfort stations” by the Japanese military. Few survived the ordeal, and among the survivors, many were silenced for decades until they started sharing their testimonies in the 1990s. The International Memorial Day for Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' is a monument to the courage of Kim Hak-Sun, the first Korean survivor to publicly testify on August 14th, 1991. Since then, survivors around the world have been at the forefront of activism for redress: weekly demonstrations every Wednesday have been taking place in Seoul for the past 27 years, with August 14th 2019 marking the 1400th Wednesday demonstration.

The Apology is an award-winning film that traces three survivors - Grandma Gil in South Korea, Grandma Cao in China, and Grandma Adela in the Philippines - in their complex lives, struggles, and fights for justice. Now in their twilight years, they give a first-hand account of their experiences to ensure that this chapter of history is not forgotten. Please join us in engaging with this important history and the stories of survivors! The movie screening is free and open to public.