A documentary on the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009) will open in theaters on Aug. 7 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his passing.

“The Cardinal,” directed by Jeon Seong-woo, presents the life of the late clergy member, through interviews with him in his last three years and many accounts from those who knew him. The documentary will focus on acknowledging the cardinal as a human being, beyond his public image. 

“The cardinal, who was respected by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, has led a life for the poor and the marginalized people in society,” said the producers of the documentary, Pyeonghwa Broadcasting Corp. “But not many people know what his real life entailed. So this film will focus on exploring different questions than before. ‘What does his life mean to us, here and now?’ and ‘Why did he live the life he did?’”

The film is currently raising funds through crowdfunding online platform goodfunding.net, under the project title “Donghaeng” (Korean word for walking together), until the end of this month. People can help raise funds for the film, while participating in the cause to continue the cardinal’s legacy.

The late Cardinal Stephen Kim was born in Daegu in 1922. Having been a priest in the most dynamic and tumultuous period of Korean history, he was made South Korea’s first Roman Catholic cardinal in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. He was an outspoken critic of authoritarian rule and provided refuge to student activists during the anti-government protests in the 1980s-90s. Until his death in 2009, he took an active part in social justice, peace and taking care of the poor.

“I wanted to present the real Cardinal Kim, whom I met and observed closely in person,” said director Jeon.

“The Cardinal” will be in theaters on Aug. 7.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)