North and South Korean Musicians Attempt to Harmonize in 9 AT 38 Documentary Screening at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

South Korea-born filmmaker and aid worker Catherine Lee brings her directorial debut, 9 at 38, to the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. 9 at 38 is a documentary short that follows Hyungjoon Won, a Juilliard-trained violinist on his seven-year pursuit: a joint concert by North and South Korean musicians. Due to restrictions in cross-border movement, musicians from the TWO SIDES would straddle the 38th Parallel, the most militarized border in the world.

"I am humbled to bring 9 at 38 to Tribeca," says director Lee. "The timing is uncannily relevant, with the on-going evolution of US-North Korea relations and an historic meeting of North and South Korean leaders planned for the same month as the festival. In America, my home of many years, the discourse about Korea is one-dimensional and military-focused; the human aspect is left out of the picture. Yet, families belonging to those such as Won and myself remain separated with a temporary armistice that has spanned seven decades - it is high time that permanent peace is agreed on once and for all and borders opened for normalized exchanges amongst the Korean people."

In the week leading up to the concert, Mr Won invites musicians from around the world to Seoul to participate in the effort. However, military aggression, geopolitical paralysis, and apathy threaten to derail a dream that many called crazy to begin with-and pursued at great sacrifice.

9 at 38 is Lee's directorial debut. The film will have its New York premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the Bold Moves short film competition program. For more information, please visit www.tribecafilm.com.

NY PREMIERE AT THE 2018 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL:

THU 04/19 - 10:00pm (Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-11)

SUN 04/22 - 2:30pm (Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-4)

WED 04/25 - 6:00pm (Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-10)

SAT 04/28 - 6:45pm (CINÉPOLIS CHELSEA 2)

https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/9-at-38-2018

ABOUT THE FILM:

Hyungjoon Won, a Juilliard-trained violinist, is closer than ever to realizing his pursuit of the last seven years: a joint concert by North and South Korean musicians. Due to prohibitions in cross-border movement, musicians from the TWO SIDES would straddle the 38th Parallel, the most militarized border in the world. It is where soldiers stand mere feet apart, ready to resume battle at a moment's notice (the Korean War never officially ended).

In the week leading up to the concert, inspired musicians gather from around the world to Seoul to partake in the effort; however, military aggression, geopolitical paralysis, and apathy threaten to derail a dream that many called crazy to begin with -- and pursued at great sacrifice.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:

Catherine Lee is an award-winning filmmaker and a humanitarian worker with experience in 17 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Born in South Korea, she dedicated her studies at Yale and Harvard universities and a decade of professional work to follow to what she considered global injustices.

Catherine saw social change projects fail over and over again. Concluding that human hearts must be moved, she left full-time employment to begin storytelling via film. In addition to 9 AT 38, her directorial debut, Lee has produced films for European and Asian broadcast outlets. Her latest independent project is a feature documentary about youth mobilizing to stop the war in South Sudan, "the world's youngest and most broken country."

Like violinist Won, Catherine believes music is a conduit to change. As a vocalist, she has sung in rallies, civil rights commemorations, and nonprofit fundraisers in and around Washington DC. In addition to filmmaking, Catherine consults to international organizations, most recently the UN and World Bank, as an impact evaluation specialist.

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