This film revisits Notes on the Missing Oh (2009-2010), a project exploring the American war film Inchon that was met with disastrous reviews upon its U.S. premiere in 1981, leading to the cancellation of its planned Korean premiere under the revised title Oh! Inchon. Inchon became a monumental box-office flop, receiving heavy criticism in both South Korea and the U.S., and is often remembered today as one of the worst movies ever made. The film’s legacy is one of failure due to its unabashed propagandism and desire for heroism, as well as the many financial, artistic and ethical compromises that affected its production from start to finish. In 2009, nearly three decades after its premier, the artist embarked on a quest to gather fragments and first-hand accounts from Korea, the U.S. and Italy—collecting the voices of those who witnessed, participated in, or were affected by the making of this ill-fated endeavor. Some 14 years hence, the artist revisits the elusive Oh! Inchon, resurrecting remnants of his previous project along the way while suggesting other modes of history-telling.
