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Free Chol Soo Lee

Film202283 min7.2/10 on TMDB

Directed by Eugene Yi, Julie Ha

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On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.Read moreLess

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

The story

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

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Cast & crew

Chol Soo Lee
Chol Soo Lee
Self (archive footage)
Ranko Yamada
Ranko Yamada
Self - Friend; Defense Committee
K.W. Lee
K.W. Lee
Self - Investigative Reporter
Jeff AdachiJeff AdachiSelf - Activist
Jay Kun Yoo
Jay Kun Yoo
Self - Chair, Defense Committee
Grace Kim
Grace Kim
Self - Vice-chair, Defense Committee
Warren Furutani
Warren Furutani
Self - L.A. Defense Committee
Leonard WeinglassLeonard WeinglassSelf - Defense Attorney (archive footage)
Gail Whang
Gail Whang
Self - Bay Area Defense Committee
Explore the crew
Director
Eugene Yi
Director
Julie Ha
Producer
Eugene Yi
Producer
Julie Ha
Producer
Jean Tsien
Producer
Jo So-na
Original Music Composer
Gretchen Jude